El Niño-Hit AP Records 45 PC Deficit Rainfall by End of Aug. 31
Poor monsoon rains hit farming and water supplies as all 28 districts face shortages
Visakhapatnam: The El Niño-hit Andhra Pradesh recorded a deficit rainfall of 45 per cent at the end of the first three quarters of the southwest monsoon by August 31. The cumulative deficit had its impact on agriculture and drinking water across the state.
In view of this, farmers see little prospects of rain in September.
The state’s rainfall deficit, measured from June 1, stood at 38 per cent at the end of July and increased to nearly 45 per cent at the end of August. Between June 1 and August 31 (three months of southwest monsoon period), the state recorded 204.3mm of rainfall against the seasonal normal of 369.5 mm- around 45 per cent shortfall overall.
The country’s cumulative monsoon rainfall deficit was 14 per cent at the end of August.
All 28 districts in the state are currently rainfall-deficient, with 25 districts categorised under ‘deficit’ and three districts-Annamayya, Prakasam and Bapatla suffering under ‘severe deficit’ conditions.
The uneven monsoon has also weighed on kharif acreage in 2026.
The total sown area for Kharif season, as of now, stands at 20.35 lakh hectares out of a total of 25.63 lakh hectares. West Godavari, Konaseema, East Godavari, Krishna, Kakinada and Eluru districts have completed sowing by 90 to 95 per cent.
Weather officials said El Nino was the key factor behind the uneven and poor rainfall this year that contributed to a sharp deterioration in the state’s rainfall in August, the worst-performing monsoon month so far.
As per IMD, Annamayya district in Rayalaseema region recorded the highest rainfall deficit of 69 per cent at the end of August followed by 59 per cent deficit each in Bapatla and Prakasam districts. The Dr B.R. Konaseeema district and Anantapur districts in the state recorded the lowest rainfall deficit of 24 per cent.