Though the southwest monsoon marked its onset on June 25, nearly 10 days later than its normal onset, the state has recorded a higher rainfall compared to the previous year. A fortnight into the onset of the Southwest monsoon, Gujarat received an average 40 per cent rainfall with the Kutch region alone receiving 104 per cent of the season’s share.
Gujarat recorded higher rainfall due to Cyclone Biparjoy followed by an active monsoon. The state’s average last year as on this day was 27.69 per cent or 235.44 mm.
With 484 mm rainfall recorded as on July 9, Kutch has surpassed the 100 per cent average rainfall-mark as it has recorded 104.44 mm rainfall, according to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) rainfall records.
However, compared to July 29, 2022, Kutch recorded less than half — 51.84 per cent or 237 mm rainfall.
While on one hand, Kutch has recorded over 104 mm rainfall, the East central region did not even get 30 per cent of season’s average rainfall. The region comprising districts of Ahmedabad, Kheda, Anand, Chhota Udepur, Panchmahal, Mahisagar, Dahod, Anand and Vadodara has received 27.66 per cent rainfall (223.95 mm).
Following Kutch, Saurashtra recorded 58.12 per cent or 419.59 mm rainfall. Among the five regions, South Gujarat recorded 30.88 per cent and North Gujarat 39.64 per cent.
Work in progress at the site where a road caved in near Dariyapur Darwaza in Ahmedabad Sunday.
Among districts, other than Kutch, Junagadh has recorded the highest rainfall of 77 per cent of season’s average rainfall followed by Jamnagar (66.9 per cent).
On Sunday, most parts of the state received rainfall as 218 talukas out of the total 251 reported rainfall till 4 pm. The districts of Rajkot, Patan, Kutch, Devbhoomi Dwarka, Banaskantha, Surendranagar, Junagadh, Botad, Mehsana, Morbi, Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad recorded heavy rainfall, too.
More rainfall to follow
The India Meteorological Department’s Ahmedabad regional director Manorama Mohanty said most parts of Gujarat are expected to continue receiving heavy to very heavy rainfall on July 10. The state is expected to receive rainfall for the next five days. However, this will start receding from July 11, she stated.
“In the next 24 hours, most places in the entire state are likely to receive rainfall along with heavy to very heavy rainfall like Banaskantha, Patan, Surendranagar, Morbi and Kutch and some other districts,” Mohanty added. “For Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar, light to moderate with chances of heavy rainfall is expected on Monday,” she said.
“A fishermen warning, too, has been issued as during the next 24 hours sea would be rough with strong winds,” weather officials stated.
Due to active monsoon conditions, squally weather is very likely to prevail along and off North and South Gujarat coast high waves in the range of 3.5 to 4.6 metre are forecasted till late Sunday night along the coast from Jahkau to Diu off the Gujarat coast.
“Heavy to very heavy rains are very likely expected in the district of Anand and Bharuch. Heavy rains at isolated places in the districts of Patan, Sabarkantha, Kheda, Ahmedabad, Panchmahal and Vadodara; in the districts of Saurashtra, namely Surendranagar, Junagadh, Bhavnagar and Botad,” the state’s weather bulletin for Monday stated, adding light thunderstorm with lightning and surface wind 30- 40 kmph (in gust) accompanied with light to moderate rain across the state.
For Tuesday (July 11), heavy rains are expected in the districts of the South Gujarat region, namely Bharuch, Surat, Navsari and Valsad, and in the Saurashtra districts of Amreli and Bhavnagar.