Leh, Sept 03: Ladakh has experienced an extraordinary rainfall event in 2025, recording a surge of nearly 930% above normal and marking the region’s wettest August in history.
According to figures from the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Ladakh’s total rainfall reached 49.5 mm for August, a dramatic rise from the typical 4.8 mm that the region expects at this time of year.
This unprecedented weather event prompted widespread disruptions across Ladakh, leaving the region cut off from vital road and air links for several days as floodwaters damaged infrastructure and isolated many villages.
Leh, the region’s capital, itself logged 55 mm of rain, compared to its monthly average of just 5.6 mm. Similarly, Kargil district received 32.6 mm against its usual 2 mm for August.
The deluge caused flash floods, destroying critical bridges, farmland, and severely impacting daily life.
Meteorologists point to an unusual interaction between the southwest monsoon and a succession of western disturbances, weather systems that typically carry moisture from the Mediterranean into the western Himalayas, as the reasons behind Ladakh’s extreme rainfall.
In August 2025, these two systems converged over northwestern India, resulting in persistent and heavy rainfall across Ladakh and neighbouring regions. Further contributing factors included a persistent monsoon trough, back-to-back low-pressure systems moving northwest from the Bay of Bengal, and upper air cyclonic circulations.
Meanwhile, important to mention her that the IMD Director of Ladakh informed that eastern Ladakh has been experiencing continuous rainfall for 48 to 72 hours. Continuous rain has been occurring in eastern Ladakh for approximately 48 to 72 hours. Intermittent rain is also happening in Leh, he said.
Ongoing climate change is turning once-rare events, such as August snow and multiplying rainfall, into new possibilities for Ladakh, raising fresh risks for the region’s population and infrastructure.
The impact extended beyond weather records, as excess rain and even unusual summer snowfall disrupted festivals and forced the cancellation of flights in and out of Leh.
A new study by IIT Bhubhaneshwar researchers showed that India is experiencing unusual extreme rainfall events, marked by exceptionally high rainfall over short periods.
Not just rain, Ladakh is also facing the unprecedented challenge of melting glaciers, which is adding to the woes as the region eyes water scarcity in the near future.
With authorities warning that such extreme patterns may become more frequent, the vulnerability of Ladakh and the wider Himalayas to climate instability is a growing concern.
Ladakh’s August 2025 deluge was driven by a unique meeting of monsoon and western winds, amplified by climate change, and has set a landmark in the region’s weather history.
Meanwhile, amidst continues heavy rainfall across North India, the IMD Director for the Union Territory of Ladakh, Sonam Lotus, stated that Eastern Ladakh has been experiencing continuous rainfall for 48 to 72 hours.
Continuous rain has been occurring in eastern Ladakh for approximately 48 to 72 hours. Intermittent rain is also happening in Leh, he said.
Further, giving the status of the situation on the ground, Lotus said that the intensity of the rain is expected to remain higher in various regions of the union territory, such as in Central Ladakh, Leh and Kargil, on Wednesday.
“Tonight, the intensity of rain is expected to be higher in Central Ladakh, Leh, and Kargil areas,” Lotus added.
However, Lotus said that the situation will gradually improve as the rain in Eastern Ladakh is expected to decrease, and the weather is expected to improve by the fourth day.
“However, the rain in Eastern Ladakh is expected to decrease gradually. Improvement in the weather is expected from the 4th,” added Lotus.
In other parts of India, the weather agency has issued red alerts in several states across districts such as Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, northern Punjab, northern Haryana, eastern Rajasthan, southwest Uttar Pradesh, northwest & eastern Madhya Pradesh, and Odisha.
As per IMD, districts under red alert include Poonch, Mirpur, Rajouri, Reasi, Jammu, Ramban, Udhampur, Samba, Kathua, Doda, and Kishtwar in Jammu & Kashmir, while in Punjab, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Nawashahr, Rupnagar, Moga, Ludhiana, Barnala, and Sangrur are under red alert. Additionally, in Himachal Pradesh, districts such as Mandi, Una, Bilaspur, Sirmaur, and Solan were also issued similar warnings.
Meanwhile, following the occurrence of a landslide in Kullu, the search and rescue operations are ongoing at the Akhara Bazaar area. Moreover, 80 km away from Mandi, around 15 houses were evacuated in Jogindernagar due to a landslide that hit the area.
Hence, as a precautionary measure, the residents have been safely evacuated from the area. The local administration continues to monitor the situation on the ground.
