Three-day wet spell brings down rainfall deficit to 51.7% in Andhra Pradesh
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Commuters make their way through waterlogged streets following heavy showers in Visakhapatnam on Sunday. | Photo Credit: V. Raju
In a positive development, three days of rainfall triggered by a low-pressure system have brought down Andhra Pradesh’s overall rainfall deficit from 54.7% earlier this week to 51.7% as of Sunday (September 13).
Commuters make their way through waterlogged streets following heavy showers in Visakhapatnam on Sunday. | Photo Credit: V. Raju
However, the rainfall has not been enough to make up for the prolonged dry spell during the first three months of the southwest monsoon. Several districts continue to record large deficiencies despite receiving heavy to very heavy rainfall in the past two days.
Between September 1 and 13, West Godavari received 128.2 mm of rainfall against the normal of 71.9 mm, while Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema received 123.3 mm against 75.8 mm. Guntur, too, recorded above-normal rainfall during the first two weeks of September. Yet, the three districts have overall rainfall deficiencies of 42.2%, 41.4% and 32%, respectively.
The steepest deficiencies are in Rayalaseema, where there has been little rainfall activity this month. Annamayya has the highest deficiency at 78.8%, followed by Sri Sathya Sai at 65.1%, Prakasam at 65% and Chittoor at 64.4%. The remaining 24 districts have recorded deficient rainfall.
According to the Directorate of Economics and Statistics, the State received 37.7 mm of rainfall this month till Sunday, against the normal of 62.6 mm. A substantial portion of the rainfall was recorded in the past two days. Between June 1 and September 13, the State received 235.3 mm against the normal of 486.9 mm.
Weather experts see a possibility of another weather system forming over the Bay of Bengal later this month. However, it remains to be seen whether such a system would bring substantial rainfall to Andhra Pradesh.
According to the India Meteorological Department, the low-pressure area that lay over the region on Saturday remained over southwest Madhya Pradesh and adjoining north Vidarbha at 8.30 a.m. on Sunday. It is likely to move west-northwestwards across southeast Rajasthan and adjoining north Gujarat during the next 24 hours.
The IMD has issued thunderstorm and strong wind warnings for Andhra Pradesh for Monday and Tuesday. Light to moderate rainfall is likely at isolated places in Parvathipuram Manyam, Alluri Sitharama Raju, Polavaram, Kakinada, NTR, Guntur, Palnadu, Markapuram, Nandyal, Kadapa, Annamayya, Chittoor and Tirupati districts on Monday.
Undrajavaram in East Godavari recorded the highest rainfall of 41.17 mm on Sunday. Several places in Anakapalli, Vizianagaram, Srikakulam and Visakhapatnam districts received between 15 mm and 30 mm of rainfall between 8.30 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Sunday.
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