Telangana records 38% rainfall deficit for August

Telangana concluded August with a 38% rainfall deficit, recording 134.5 mm against the normal 215.8 mm, according to the Telangana Development & Planning Society (TGDPS). This shortfall follows a period of uneven weather where the deficit had briefly improved to a 13% surplus on August 4 before slipping back into a deficit.

The cumulative monsoon rainfall for the period of June 1 to August 31 stands at 473.8 mm, which is 17% below the normal 573.5 mm. Meteorologists from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) attributed the August shortfall to El Nino-related changes in monsoon patterns and a lack of sustained weather systems. While several systems formed over the Bay of Bengal, most moved toward northern Odisha, leaving large parts of central and southern Telangana outside the core rainfall zones.

Rainfall distribution was uneven across the state. Hanamkonda recorded the highest cumulative deficit at 45%, followed by Warangal at 44% and Jangaon at 42%. In Hyderabad, the cumulative deficit for the season reached 22%. The prolonged dry spells have raised concerns regarding soil moisture and crop conditions in rain-fed areas.