Motorists making their way through a waterlogged main road after heavy rain in Hyderabad in October.
| Photo Credit: NAGARA GOPAL
Telangana has seen an increasing trend of unusual highest rainfall in a single day during the southwest monsoon for the last 21 years from 2004 to 2024 with 9.8 cm recorded on September 1 this year with 60% departure from monthly normal rainfall being right on top.
This was followed by 9.8 cm recorded on July 27, 2023, which is 43% more than the monthly normal, 6.3 cm on July 13, 2022, or 28% more than normal and 6 cm on September 7, 2021, or 37% in the last three years. High daily rainfall was also recorded during the period in August 5, 2006, when 10.9 cm rainfall occurred, 8.1 cm on August 5, 2006, when the departure from normal has been 50%, according to the Telangana Development Planning Society.
A special study analysing southwest monsoon trends (June to September) revealed a rise in ‘extremely heavy rainfall’ events in July from 2020 to 2023, though the number declined this year. September recorded the second-highest number of such events after July, surpassing June and August.
Over the past five years, seasonal rainfall deviations have consistently been normal or above, peaking at 52% in 2022, followed by 49% in 2020 and 40% in 2021. July showed the highest rainfall deviation, with 121% in 2022 and 114% in 2023. Significant deviations were also noted in August 2020 (77%) and September, with deviations of 116% in 2021, 92% in 2020, 84% in 2024, and 74% in 2022.
These trends indicate increasing rainfall in July and September and a decline in August over the last five years. This year, very heavy rainfall was observed in northwest and eastern districts during July and September, with extreme rainfall events limited to September.
Heavy rainfall was observed at many places this year over most districts in August and September. Very heavy rainfall was observed at many places over northwest and east districts in July and September and extreme rainfall was observed at many places over Mahabubabad, Khammam and Suryapet districts and isolated places over Kamareddy, Mulugu, Bhadradri Kothagudem, Siddipet and Jangaon districts in September.
Rainfall during monsoon as a whole showed an excess of 30% (9.6 cm) compared to the normal rainfall (73.8 cm) of the season. The monthly rainfall variation as a whole was 23%, 29%, -3% and 84% of rainfall deviation during June, July, August and September, respectively. In June, July and September, rainfall was in excess whereas in August, it was normal, said the report.
Published – December 10, 2024 12:10 am IST
