HYDERABAD: Telangana recorded just 134.5 mm of rainfall in August, against the normal 215.8 mm, ending the month with a 38% deficit, according to Telangana Development Planning Society (TGDPS) data. The cumulative monsoon deficit also widened to 17% for June-August, with 473.8 mm recorded against the normal 573.5 mm.
August was the weakest monsoon month so far and marked a sharp decline from last year, when the state received 378.5 mm — nearly 64% more than this August.
Meteorologists attributed the shortfall mainly to El Nino-related changes in monsoon patterns and the absence of weather systems capable of bringing sustained, widespread rain.
“Rainfall variation during August was mainly associated with El Nino conditions. Long dry spells punctuated by episodes of heavy rain are not unusual during the monsoon. What made August challenging was the absence of sustained weather systems that could provide widespread rainfall over Telangana,” said GNRS Srinivas, meteorologist, India Meteorological Department (IMD), Hyderabad.
The state began August with its cumulative deficit at 49% on August 3. Widespread rainfall briefly improved the position, bringing the deficit down to 3%, but the recovery was short-lived. The deficit widened to 39% by August 22 before closing at 38%.
Three weather systems formed over the Bay of Bengal during August, but most developed over the north-west Bay and moved towards northern Odisha and adjoining areas.
“Most of these systems remained too far north to significantly benefit Telangana. While some northern districts received moderate rainfall from their peripheral influence, large parts of central and southern Telangana remained outside the core rainfall zone,” Srinivas said.
The prolonged dry spells have raised concerns over soil moisture and crop conditions in rain-fed areas. With September being the last major month of the southwest monsoon, the seasonal outlook will depend largely on the development of weather systems capable of bringing widespread rain to the state.
