Hyderabad has experienced 24% more rain than usual this monsoon, according to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD). This unusual weather is due to cumulonimbus clouds, typically seen in April and May, and the repeated formation of low-pressure areas in the Bay of Bengal.
The official monsoon lasts 122 days, and rain isn’t constant throughout. Low-pressure systems and upper air cyclonic circulations in the Bay of Bengal and near North Andhra Pradesh trigger rain. Usually, two to three such systems form each month during the monsoon, causing cloudy skies for up to five days, especially in coastal Andhra Pradesh and nearby Telangana.
Meteorologist G N R S Srinivas Rao noted that the first 40 to 45 days had no low-pressure formations near the Bay of Bengal, North Odisha, and West Bengal. Although skies were cloudy, rain was absent. From late July, low-pressure areas began forming near the west central Bay of Bengal, with one in late July and four in August.
Initially, from June 1 to the end of July, the state had 30% less rain. However, it has now received 24% more rain than usual. Rao observed a new pattern this year: during dry spells, temperatures rise, which was not seen before.
Usually, there is more moisture available on dry days, and monsoon winds are present in the evenings. Cumulonimbus clouds are characteristic of the pre-monsoon season in April and May.
By the third week of September, the state had received over 890 mm of rain since June 1, surpassing the average of over 700 mm. The IMD forecasts continued cloudy weather and rain, issuing a yellow alert until September 28.
