VIJAYAWADA: Andhra Pradesh received 13 per cent deficit rainfall in the South West Monsoon that ended on September 30. As against the normal rainfall of 521.6 mm rainfall in the state during the monsoon, the State had received only 454.6 mm. However, technically it is considered normal rainfall. The previous year, the State had received two per cent excess rainfall over normal.
The delayed onset of monsoon and prolonged dry spell in August is said to be the reason for the deficit rainfall as a whole. August was the driest and warmest month, with the highest number of dry spell days in the recorded history of the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) since 1901.
Anantapur district registered the highest deficit rainfall of 34 per cent in the State, while Krishna district registered 32 per cent surplus rainfall, the highest surplus rainfall in the State. In the Rayalaseema region barring Chittoor district, all other districts registered deficit rainfall.
Kurnool registered the second-highest deficit rainfall with a 28 per cent shortfall and Annamaya district stood third in the list with a 21 per cent deficit rainfall. However, Chittoor has received 17 per cent surplus rainfall, which technically is considered normal.
In the coastal districts, a total of eleven districts have registered deficit rainfall, with the highest deficient rainfall being in Nellore district, which registered 30 per cent deficit rain. It was followed by Prakasam district with 21 per cent deficit rainfall, West Godavari and Kakinada with 20 per cent deficient rainfall, Eluru with 18 per cent deficit rainfall, and Konaseema district with 17 per cent deficit rainfall. Besides Krishna district, no other district had registered surplus rainfall.
In the previous year, the NTR district received 10.6 per cent deficit rainfall, which is considered normal, while the Sri Satya Sai district got a 45.9 per cent surplus, which is considered excess. IMD has said the major reasons behind the driest August were the El Nino impact, unfavourable Madden Julian Oscillation (MJO) and a lesser number of low-pressure weather events.