El Niño leaves Telangana with 38% rain in August 2026

Three weather systems formed over the Bay of Bengal did not bring relief to Telangana | Photo credit: SUBYENDU GANGULY

El Nino, the key factor behind uneven monsoon rainfall this year, contributed to a sharp deterioration in rainfall in Telangana in August, leaving the state with a 38% deficit, its worst monsoon month yet.

According to monthly rainfall data from the Telangana Development Planning Society (TGDPS) compiled by The Hindu, the state received 134.5 mm rainfall in August against the normal of 215.8 mm.

378.5 mm in August 2025

The deficit was significant compared to the previous year. Telangana received 378.5 mm of rainfall in August 2025, which means that this year’s rainfall is 64% less than the corresponding month of last year.

GNRS Srinivas, a meteorologist at the IMD Centre, Hyderabad, said the fluctuation in rainfall in August was mainly linked to El Nino, adding that prolonged dry spells followed by spells of heavy rain are a normal feature of the monsoon.

Deficit to surplus

The month reflected the highly uneven nature of the rainfall distribution. Telangana monsoon in August with rainfall more than 40% below normal, with deficit widening to 49% on 3 August. However, extensive rainfall in the following days briefly reversed the situation, and cumulative rainfall reached a 13% surplus by 4 August.

The improvement lasted only one day. On August 5, the state again slipped into a 2% deficit, after which the deficit gradually deepened from August 10. It reached 39% on August 22, narrowed slightly in the following days, and began to rise again towards the end of the month, finally settling at a deficit of 38% on August 31.

Rainfall in August was worse than the previous two monsoon months. June saw a 12% deficit, while July was almost normal with only a 1% deficit.

Weather systems stayed too far north

The location and movement of weather systems over the Bay of Bengal played an important role in determining the state’s rainfall fortunes during the month. According to Mr. Srinivas, three weather systems formed over the Bay of Bengal in August, but all were located in the northwest Bay of Bengal and moved around north Odisha and adjoining areas.

As Telangana remained largely on the fringes of these systems, the state benefited little from them. Some districts in north Telangana received light rainfall, but the central and southern parts of the state were the worst affected by the lack of significant rains.

Three-month cumulative deficit widens to 17%

From June to August, the normal southwest monsoon rainfall in the state is 573.5 mm. In contrast, it received 473.8 mm, which means a 17% deficit for the three-month period.

Rainfall deficit is more acute in urban areas of Telangana

The deficit was sharper in the state’s large urban areas. The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), Cyberabad Municipal Corporation (CMC) and Malkajgiri Municipal Corporation (MMC) together recorded 359.6 mm of rainfall from June to August against the normal of 459.7 mm, resulting in a 22% deficit.

Published – 31 Aug 2026 12:47 IST