NEW DELHI: In what meteorologists are calling an extraordinary display of nature's fury, northern India has experienced its wettest May on record, marked by four severe storms that have claimed twelve lives and left a trail of destruction in their wake.The most recent storm, striking late Saturday night into early Sunday, proved to be the month's most ferocious. Wind speeds reached a staggering 82 km/h at Safdarjung, creating hazardous conditions across the region. This event marked the culmination of a month that had already seen severe weather events on May 2, 17, and 21, with winds consistently reaching speeds between 74-82 km/h.The science behind these storms reveals a complex interplay of weather systems.

Western disturbances - low-pressure systems originating from the Mediterranean - have been unusually frequent this May. These systems, combined with moisture-laden winds from both the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea, have created perfect conditions for severe weather events.The human cost has been significant. The twelve fatalities reported were primarily caused by falling trees, collapsing walls, and toppled infrastructure.

Adding to the month's challenges, a powerful dust storm on May 15 brought wind speeds of up to 40 km/h, severely impacting air quality despite the absence of rain.Weather analyst Navdeep Dahiya tracked the most recent storm's progression, noting its origin in north Punjab before it swept through the Delhi-NCR region via Haryana. The storm's intensity was amplified by the presence of multiple cyclonic circulations across north Punjab, Jammu & Kashmir, northwest Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and West Rajasthan.As May draws to a close, meteorologists are carefully monitoring these weather patterns. The unprecedented frequency of western disturbances and their interaction with other weather systems may indicate a shifting climate paradigm, raising concerns about future weather patterns in the region.