Why Telangana received 72% excess rain in October?

Hyderabad: Telangana received a large excess rainfall of 72% even in October, during which southwest monsoon is expected to withdraw. Among the south-Indian states, all of which received excess rainfall, Telangana comes second only to Karnataka, which received 105% excess rainfall for the last month.

In Telangana, Warangal Rural district received the highest excess rainfall (217%) closely followed by Warangal Urban (208%). Karimnagar (198%), Jayashankar Bhupalapalle (191%), Siddipet (169%), Jangaon (136%), Peddapalle (107%) and Kamareddy (100%) are the other districts that recorded excess rainfall in October.

Under the influence of cyclone Maha, Andhra Pradesh faced heavy rainfall on October 30 and 31. The state has 31% excess rainfall for October, which does not come under the large excess category.

According to weather experts, the delayed withdrawal of monsoon has become the norm for the past ten years. Although October is not the typical monsoon month for Telangana, the changing weather systems have led to rainfall that sustained during withdrawal months as well. B Raja Rao, a meteorologist with Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) Hyderabad said, “The southwest monsoon occurs from June to September. The withdrawal is supposed to happen through October. However, the rainfall in October is a pattern that has been happening for the past few years.”

Changing weather systems developed over the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea have affected the monsoon patterns in the state. According to Mahesh Palawat from private weather forecaster service Skymet, the entire southern peninsula recorded excess rainfall in October. “There is a formation of a confluence zone over Telangana, wherein north-easterly dry winds are merging with south-easterly humid winds from the Arabian Sea. This zone has given rise to cloud formation and subsequent rainfall. The frequent rain activity also has to do with the delay in withdrawal leading to southwest monsoon merging with the northeast monsoon. This might continue for another two-three days at least,” he said.

“The presence of the positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), which creates warmer (than normal) sea surface temperature in the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean, has also led to increased frequency and intensity of these weather systems this year. This could be why despite monsoon withdrawal expected from October 15 onwards, rainfall has been on and off in the state,” he added.