July 2023 may turn out to be 2nd rainiest July since 2004. This also will be the second consecutive July with above-normal rainfall. July 2022 with a monthly rainfall of 327.2mm against the normal of 280.5mm has been the rainiest since 2006. July 2005 received a rainfall of 333.7mm, 2nd highest since July 1994 when it witnessed a monthly downpour of 350mm. Otherwise, July 1944 has been all time record rainiest with 349.1mm rainfall, since 1901, when reliable records started getting maintained.
July 2023 has so far witnessed an undulating rainfall pattern, albeit with more cusps than troughs. Between 01st July and 20th July, rainfall was above the daily normal on 12 days and fell short of it on the remaining days. Month so far has received 201.4mm of rainfall against the normal of 176.8mm, an excess of 14%. This includes very heavy rainfall on 07th, 08th, 09th, and 19th July. This also includes all-time 24-hour record high rainfall at Chandigarh (522mm) and Veraval (520mm) on 09th July and 19th July respectively. Coastal parts of Saurashtra have received 24-hour rainfall in excess of 200mm. with Dwarka leading the table recording 237mm of rainfall.
July Rainfall (mm): 2005 – 2023
July 2023 had a series of monsoon system, making a trail running across the central and northern parts of the country. Each of the week so far has observed a monsoon low travelling from east to west across Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. The current low pressure area is marked over parts of Odisha and South Chhattisgarh. Over the next 3 days, this system will track along Madhya Pradesh, South Rajasthan and Gujarat. Close on heels, another low pressure area is likely to form on 23rd /24thJuly. Monsoon will remain in an active phase over the central and northern parts of the country. Long awaited weather activity will build up over southern parts as well, between 24th and 27thJuly. Extreme fag end of July may become a dampener for couple od days.
Northwest India has registered an excess of huge 45% rainfall between 01stJune and 20thJuly. Distant 2nd are the central parts with a marginal surplus of 9% during this period. The other two regions of South Peninsula and East & Northeast India remain deficit with discrepancy of 17% and 21% respectively. The striking shortfall in excess of 30% has been recorded by Kerala (38%), South Interior Karnataka (32%), Rayalaseema (33%), Jharkhand (44%), Bihar (40%), West Bengal (37%) and Nagaland-Manipur-Mizoram-Tripura together, with 33% rainfall.