New Delhi (TIP)- Last year was the fifth warmest for India in the last 121 years – after 2016, 2009, 2017 and 2010 – according to the Annual Climate Statement 2021 released by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Friday. The revelation comes in the backdrop of an intensifying global fight against the ongoing climate crisis.

The mean air temperature in 2021 was 0.44 degrees Celsius above normal, says the IMD report. In 2016, the mean air temperature was 0.71°C higher than normal; 0.55°C in 2009; 0.54°C in 2017 and 0.53°C in 2010. In the 121 years between 1901 and last year, the mean temperature rose by 0.63°C above normal. IMD scientists said a particularly warm winter and the post-monsoon season in 2021 led to the increase in mean temperature last year.