Monsoon wrap-up: Hyderabad’s rainfall exceeds expectations, Khairatabad and Nampally lead pack

While the city as a whole saw abundant rainfall, the season was marked by sharp regional disparities, with some areas recording record-breaking downpours, while others grappled with deficit.

Hyderabad: As the southwest monsoon season officially ends, Hyderabad has experienced one of its wettest monsoons in recent years, recording a total rainfall of 829.1 mm, well above the seasonal norm of 620.4 mm.

This marks a significant increase compared to the 742.9 mm received in 2022 and 769.5 mm in 2023. While the city as a whole saw abundant rainfall, the season was marked by sharp regional disparities, with some areas recording record-breaking downpours, while others grappled with deficit.

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The high precipitation during the 2024 monsoon placed localities like Khairatabad and Nampally at the top, each receiving 948 mm and 947.1 mm respectively, far surpassing the city’s seasonal average, according to data from the Telangana Development Planning Society. In sharp contrast, Trimulgherry faced a disappointing season, ending with a rainfall deficit. The locality received only 506.9 mm, falling well short of its usual 636.7 mm, a staggering 20 per cent shortfall.

The variability in Hyderabad’s rainfall became especially stark when considering the week-by-week departures from the average. Early June saw the monsoon off to a strong start, with rainfall departures climbing as high as 116 per cent by mid-June. However, the city faced a sharp decline in July, when rainfall plunged by as much as 63 per cent and 97 per cent in consecutive weeks. August brought relief, with a dramatic upswing in precipitation, peaking at 196 per cent above the norm by mid-month. September, however, delivered an erratic finale, with surges as high as 210 per cent in one week, only to drop to -81 per cent in the last few days of the month.

As the southwest monsoon recedes, the city now looks to the post-monsoon season, which runs from October to December. The India Meteorological Department anticipates a gradual withdrawal of the monsoon from Hyderabad by mid-October. “The city is expected to experience normal rainfall during October, with light thunderstorms likely in the second week and more rain predicted toward the end of the month,” Dr. A. Shravani, a scientist at the IMD-Hyderabad, said.