Monsoon blues: Telangana grapples with dry spell fear

HYDERABAD: There was a glimmer of hope for relief from unrelenting heat as parts of Telangana got glimpses of good rain on Wednesday. But this year's rainfall situation may not be that promising due to the delayed arrival of monsoon.
Between June 1 and June 20, the state recorded its lowest rainfall at 18mm since its formation, highlighting a severe shortage.

There have been four instances when the monsoon arrived late in the state, occurring after June 15. Usually, the monsoon arrives by the second week of June.
In 2014, the monsoon hit Telangana on June 19, covering the entire state in 24 hours. The state had received an average of 48mm of rainfall between June 1 and June 20 that year. In 2016, a similar pattern emerged as rains arrived on June 18 and enveloped the entire state the following day. Despite the delay, monsoon in 2016 brought an average rainfall of 85mm during the initial 20 days of June. In 2019, monsoon once again arrived late, entering the state on June 21 and covering the state by June 23. During the same period from June 1 to June 20, the state received 45.7mm of rainfall that year.
Comparing past occurrences, it is evident that delayed monsoons have brought better rainfall even during dry days. However, the current year's rainfall situation paints a grim picture, with the state averaging a mere 18mm of rain until June 20.
This situation has prompted officials to focus on the possibility of El Nino formation.
"The conditions are indicating the formation of El Nino, with dry spells expected in October and November. Although heat waves are unlikely, temperatures will remain high," said K Nagaratna, the head of India Meteorological Department (IMD), Hyderabad.
She added that these changes in wind patterns and moisture levels have altered the climate conditions in the past two years ago.
The term El Nino refers to the warming of the ocean surface or higher-than-average sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean.
During the southwest monsoon season, El Nino leads to reduced rainfall, negatively affecting agriculture and water resources. This results in drought conditions, impacting crop yields and food production.