IMD: Gujarat received 140% of average rainfall this season

As per the weather department, the withdrawal got delayed due to a “well-marked low pressure” area last week. “The depression over West Central Arabian Sea off Oman coast moved northwestwards and likely to move nearly westwards towards Oman coast and weaken gradually into a well-marked low-pressure area,” the weather department stated on Tuesday.

“The Southwest Monsoon withdrawal was completed in Gujarat along with the entire country on Tuesday. However, this week there is a forecast of heavy rainfall in southern districts of Gujarat, including Valsad,” Ahmedabad regional director in-charge Ramashray Yadav told The Indian Express.

As per the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC), Gandhinagar, Gujarat received 140.60% of average rain this year. In 2023, the average rainfall received was 108%, 122% in 2022 and 98.48% in 2021.

Among all regions of the state, Kutch recorded the highest rain at 187%, followed by Saurashtra (152%), South Gujarat (146%), East-central (134%) and North Gujarat (116%).

Of the total 1,241 mm of rain received by Gujarat this season, August received the highest rain at 442 m. In the last week of August, a deep depression that started as a low-pressure area in the Bay of Bengal brought floods in most parts of the state.

While 115 mm of rain was received in June, July recorded 424 mm of rainfall, and 231 mm of rain was received in September.

Among talukas, out of a total of 251 talukas in the state, 142 received more than 1,000 mm of rainfall while 102 talukas got between 501 and 1,000 mm, and only seven received between 251 and 500 mm of rain.

For Wednesday, the IMD has issued a forecast of heavy rain in the district of South Gujarat’s Valsad district along with light to moderate thunderstorms with lightning and surface wind 30- 40 kmph (in gust) accompanied by light to moderate rain very likely at isolated places in the district of Dahod; Vadodara, Chhotaudepur, Narmada, in all the districts of South Gujarat including Bharuch, Surat, Dangs, Navsari, Valsad, Tapi; in the districts of Saurashtra including Rajkot, Jamnagar, Porbandar, Junagadh, Amreli, Bhavnagar, Dwarka, Gir Somnath and Kutch.

Till October 22, there is a forecast of light rain in the districts of Dangs, Navsari and Valsad.