BENGALURU: Karnataka has registered a 32% rainfall deficit this southwest monsoon season, data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has revealed. This is the highest deficit the state has ever recorded, surpassing 31% registered in 2002. In 2023, it was 18%. The highest rain deficit ever recorded in the region was in 1918 (47%). This year, as against the actual rainfall of 831.8mm between June 1 and September 30, Karnataka got 563.7mm rainfall.
The southwest monsoon completely withdrew from India on October 14, and the northeast monsoon will set in on October 15. “The southwest monsoon has completely withdrawn from Karnataka over the last couple of days, and the state received no rainfall. This 32% rainfall deficit is the highest ever in the last many years, and it is concerning,” IMD Director, Bengaluru, N Puviarasan said.
He said the southwest monsoon period is ideally from June to September and the data is collected for the same period. But this year, the onset of the southwest monsoon was delayed and so was the withdrawal. The rainfall that Karnataka got in October, though it is a part of the southwest monsoon withdrawal period, will be recorded as rain in the northeast monsoon period, which is climatologically setting in from October 2026.
South-Interior Karnataka worst affected
The highest deficit of 36% was recorded in the South-Interior Karnataka subdivision comprising 17 districts. The region recorded 432.9mm rainfall as against the actual 678.4mm.
North Karnataka subdivision, comprising 11 districts, recorded a 32% deficit. The region received 329.1mm of rainfall as against the normal 480.8mm. Coastal Karnataka subdivision, comprising three districts, recorded a 28% deficit. The region received 2,226.7 mm of rainfall as against the normal 3,093.9mm.
The highest rainfall deficit of 87% was recorded in Ramanagara (actual 59.2mm, normal 459.6mm). Belagavi was the only district to record near-normal rainfall (normal 573.3mm, actual 572mm rainfall).
The IMD said that India experienced below-normal Southwest Monsoon rainfall owing to El Niño and local weather conditions. These factors may also lead to poor northeast monsoon rainfall, resulting in a rainfall deficit in the state throughout the year.