Karnataka, which has, for the last few days, witnessed dry weather and heat wave conditions in a few northern districts, has received deficient rainfall in the first three months of 2024.
According to the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre’s (KSNDMC) cumulative rainfall data from January 1, 2024, to April 1, 2024, the State received 9 mm of rainfall during this period. The normal rainfall projected for these three months is 14 mm, and there has been a departure of -34%.
Regionwise departure
Region-wise, south-interior Karnataka has received 6 mm as against the normal 18 mm with a deficiency of -68%, north-interior Karnataka has received 2 mm as against the normal 12 mm with a deficiency of -82%, the Malnad region has received 26 mm rainfall as against the normal 19mm and the coastal region has received 32 mm rainfall as against the normal 14 mm.
Rainfall is considered normal when it varies between +19% and -19%, deficient when it varies between -20% and -59%, large deficient when it is -60% or less %, excess when it varies between +20% and +59% and significant excess when it is +60% and above.
Though the State received deficient rainfall during the first three months of the year, experts say this trend is not alarming.
“The normal rainfall between January and March is very minimal. These three months are not ‘rainfall months’. January usually gets a normal 2 mm of rainfall; the pattern for February is also similar, but in March, we get about 8 mm of rainfall. All put together, we get about 10-12 mm rainfall,” said Dr. G.S. Srinivasa Reddy, former director of KSNDMC.
Dr. Reddy said it is not the deficiency of rainfall, but the rise in temperatures above normal that is alarming.
“Less rain during March this year added to the rise in temperatures. Because we had no rains in March there was impact on the groundwater level also,” Dr. Reddy added.
Bengaluru likely to receive rain on Ugadi day
As per the IMD forecast, light rainfall is very likely to occur over Bengaluru Urban and Bengaluru Rural, along with a few other districts in the State, on April 9. According to the IMD’s observation data recorded at 6 p.m. on Thursday, April 4, the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) station recorded a maximum of 37.7 degrees Celsius.
On April 2, Bengaluru city recorded 37.2 °C and KIA station recorded 37.3°C.
“Partly cloudy sky in the morning becoming mainly clear sky by afternoon and evening. Maximum and Minimum temperatures are very likely to be around 37 and 23°C respectively,” states the forecast for Bengaluru for the next 36 hours
