Andhra Pradesh monsoon: Dry weather to continue in state till mid-July

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Andhra Pradesh is experiencing a dry spell with rising daytime temperatures and erratic rainfall, which is expected to continue until mid-July, The Times of India reported. The dry spell is causing concern as daytime temperatures are rising in many areas, and rainfall deficits are being reported in several regions.

As per the report, the Bay of Bengal currently shows no signs of developing significant low-pressure systems or depressions that could move towards the state to restore favourable rainfall patterns.

As a result, many regions in the state are likely to experience irregular rainfall over the next 7 to 10 days. Despite the early arrival of the southwest monsoon in AP, several areas in the state have recorded below-average rain.

According to the report, the state received only 89.6 mm of rainfall from June 1 to July 10, against a normal of 131.2 mm, marking a 32% deficit. All eight districts in the Rayalaseema region have experienced deficits ranging from 46% to 70% during the same period.

In the Coastal Andhra Pradesh (CAP) region, only four of the 18 districts—Alluri Sitharama Raju (ASR), Anakapalle, East Godavari, and Eluru—received normal to excess rainfall, the report added.

The remaining 14 districts, including Srikakulam, Nellore, Palnadu, Prakasam, NTR, Krishna, Guntur, and Bapatla, recorded rainfall deficits ranging from 30% to 60%.

Monsoon-like rainfall has largely been absent in Rayalaseema and several parts of coastal AP. As per the report, the maximum temperatures ranged between 35°C and 39°C across the state on Wednesday, with residents in the Vizag region experiencing hot, humid, and uncomfortable conditions.

"We had an early monsoon onset in May, followed by a few days of rain, but since then, rainfall has been irregular," S. Karunasagar, scientist at IMD-Amaravati, was quoted by TOI as saying. "This uneven pattern has delayed kharif agricultural operations in Rayalaseema and parts of coastal AP," he said, adding the forecast remains unfavorable for significant rainfall over the next week. However, parts of north and south coastal Andhra Pradesh may see isolated thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and strong winds (40–50 km/h) over the coming seven days.