Chitradurga lies in the heart of the Vedavati River valley in the southern part of the Indian state of Karnataka. The city got its name from an umbrella-shaped hill called Chitrakaldurga simply meaning a picturesque castle. The city finds mention in the chronicles of the epic Ramayana and the Mahabharata and is famous as the land of valour and chivalry.
This city in Karnataka is geographically diverse and flanked by lofty peaks and boulder-strewn landscape. With an average elevation of around 2500 ft., it is situated approximately 200 km away from the state capital Bengaluru but is way different from it weather-wise.
South India received torrential pre-monsoon rain, accompanied by strong winds, since the beginning of the month triggered by the tropical low pressure area which turned into a well-marked low and weakened after entering the land.
Record rain
The average rain for May in Chitradurga is just 65 mm but this city was one of the several places lashed by unusual heavy rain. In 1955, Chitradurga recorded 259.3 mm of rain in the month of May and this year it has already surpassed this record by receiving 261.2 mm of rain in just first 10 days.
Day Temperatures in Chitradurga remain fairly comfortable and rarely reaches 40°C even in the peak of summer. In May maximums stay comfortable in mid-thirties while the nearby city of Ananthapur in Andhra Pradesh often records the highest temperature during summer in India. Nights also remain cool with minimums in low-twenties and frequent pre-monsoon rain brings down the mercury even further.
According to the latest weather update by Skymet Meteorology Division in India, pre-monsoon rain will continue in South India and Chitradurga could even set an all-time highest rainfall record which would be difficult to break. The monsoon air mass generally enters Chitradurga, in the heart of the Deccan Plateau, within the first week of June.
picture courtesy- Junction India
