October Turns Wettest in History for Telangana

 Hyderabad: Telangana has recorded one of its wettest Octobers in recent history, with the state receiving 174.9 millimetres of rainfall — almost double the normal 89.4 mm — according to the Telangana State Development and Planning Society (TGDPS).

This represents a 96 per cent surplus over the state’s climatological average and a 189 per cent increase compared to October 2024, when the state recorded only 60.5 mm. Meteorologists say the post-monsoon surge this year has been unusually strong, driven by multiple low-pressure systems over the Bay of Bengal and a delayed southwest monsoon withdrawal.

“Normally, the southwest monsoon retreats by early October, but this year it extended into the third week of the month,” a TGDPS official said. “Moisture convergence and the slow movement of systems kept Telangana under continuous rainfall bands.”

District-level data reveal the intensity of the downpour. Hanumakonda’s Bheemadevarapalle mandal topped the state with 406.3 mm, followed by Warangal’s Kalleda (382), Khilla (358 mm) and Parvathagiri (335.8 mm). Other high-rainfall zones included Wardhannapet (321 mm), Velair (313 mm), and Hanumakonda mandal (310 mm) — figures typically seen during the peak monsoon months of August and September.

Of the 33 districts, six recorded “large excess” rainfall (more than 60 per cent above normal), 23 showed “excess,” and four were “normal.” None of the districts reported deficiency or dryness, marking the widest wet coverage Telangana has witnessed in several years.

October’s rains helped boost the state’s annual rainfall to 1,163.2 mm — up from the normal 830 mm — reflecting a 40 per cent surplus for the 2025 water year. The southwest monsoon (June–September) had already performed strongly with 988.3 mm against a normal 740.6 mm, and the continued rainfall in October pushed several districts into the “large excess” category.

The impact has been mixed. While reservoirs such as Nagarjunasagar, Sri Ram Sagar, and Mid Manair reported healthy inflows, urban centres like Hyderabad, Warangal, and Karimnagar experienced recurrent waterlogging and drain overflows. In Hyderabad, multiple episodes of intense overnight rain between October 15 and 25 caused traffic disruptions in parts of Kukatpally, Malkajgiri, and LB Nagar.

Farmers in Warangal, Karimnagar, and Nizamabad districts said the rains have replenished tanks and groundwater, aiding early rabi sowing. However, the agriculture department has issued advisories to paddy growers on protecting late-harvest crops from fungal infection and lodging due to saturated soil conditions.

IMD Hyderabad officials noted that the rainfall pattern indicates a strong overlap of southwest monsoon and northeast monsoon. “Moisture-bearing systems formed in the Bay of Bengal were drawn inland by persistent troughs. The state’s northern and eastern belts received the highest cumulative rainfall for October in over a decade,” an IMD scientist told Deccan Chronicle.

With northeast monsoon activity now strengthening, the state government has asked district collectors to stay alert for possible localised flooding and reservoir overflows through early November.