Telangana rain deficit hits 74% since 1 October, Nizamabad gets none; IMD sees dry days till 14 November and advises dry crops over Yasangi paddy

Between 1 October and 4 November, Telangana received only 27.7 mm of rain where 104.7 mm is normal, a shortfall of 74%, the latest weekly figures from the India Meteorological Department’s Hyderabad centre show. The Telangana rain deficit now covers almost the whole state: 29 of its 33 districts sit in IMD’s large-deficient band, 60% or more below normal, and a 30th, Nizamabad, has recorded no rain at all since the season began.

Only the east got relief. The remains of Cyclone Murasu brought extremely heavy rain to parts of Bhadradri Kothagudem and Khammam on 4 November, lifting Bhadradri Kothagudem’s total since 1 October to 152.4 mm, 37% above normal, and keeping Khammam in the normal range. Mulugu is 40% short. Nirmal, Peddapalle, Rajanna Sircilla and Siddipet are each 98% short, Karimnagar and Kamareddy 97%. Hyderabad district, despite the heavy showers at the end of October, has had 34.7 mm against a normal of 115.3 mm.

No rain in the forecast till 14 November

The seven-day forecast IMD issued on Sunday, 8 November, expects dry weather across Telangana on every day from 9 to 14 November, with no warnings. For 13 to 19 November, its extended-range outlook of 5 November expects light to moderate rain but a below-normal total for the state.

Nights are getting colder. Adilabad’s minimum of 13.7°C, recorded in the 24 hours to 8.30 am on Sunday, was the lowest in the state and two degrees below normal, and IMD expects minimum temperatures to stay below normal till 12 November.

Dry crops instead of Yasangi paddy

IMD’s State Agro-Meteorological Centre in Hyderabad has asked farmers who planned paddy for the Yasangi (rabi) season to move to irrigated dry crops. Its bulletin of Friday, 6 November, points to El Niño conditions, low reservoir storage and falling groundwater, and lists green gram, black gram, groundnut, sunflower and maize for fields with water. It allows sowing up to 15 November for groundnut in southern Telangana and for safflower, Bengal gram, mustard and maize, with quality seed. For kharif paddy nearing harvest, it warns that the weather favours brown planthopper.

Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy gave farmers similar advice at the Hakimpet Rythu Mela in Vikarabad district on 7 November, asking them not to rush into paddy and sugarcane. His office scheduled a farmers’ public meeting at Hakimpet for Monday, 9 November, and expected about 50,000 farmers from 10 districts. The state has already declared 365 mandals drought-hit for the Vanakalam season. IMD’s next weekly rainfall count covers the week ending Wednesday, 11 November.