Gujarat recorded its wettest June in the last ten years this time owing to two low pressure systems formed over the Arabian Sea between June 17 and 29, along with a monsoon trough, which moved towards the south of its usual position.
As per State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) data, June received the highest average rainfall since 2015. In a two week period — since the onset of southwest monsoon in Gujarat on June 15 till June 30 — Gujarat has recorded 288.7 mm of average rainfall, which is 32.73 per cent of the total rainfall usually received by the state throughout the season.
Earlier, in 2023, June recorded 200.83 mm average rainfall — 22.9 per cent of the total rainfall received by Gujarat in the entire season.
“On most days, the monsoon trough was in the south of its normal position, especially during the second half of June. This resulted in good rainfall over central and northwest parts, including Gujarat. The two low pressure systems over the Arabian Sea have also caused a good amount of rainfall in Gujarat,” India Meteorological Department (IMD) Regional Director A K Das told The Indian Express.
The least rainfall recorded in June as per the SEOC rainfall data was in 2016, at 36.76 mm.
The state is expected to keep receiving heavy to very heavy rainfall in the first week of July as well.
The IMD has, meanwhile, issued an ‘orange alert’ for Wednesday, with a forecast of heavy to very heavy rainfall for the districts of Sabarkantha, Aravalli, Dahod, Mahisagar, Navsari and Valsad. An ‘orange alert’ has also been issued in Banaskantha and Sabarkantha for Thursday.
Most parts of the state has been put under ‘yellow alert’, with prediction of heavy rainfall till July 7. An ‘orange alert’ has been issued in Aravali, Dahod, Mahisagar for July 5; in Banaskantha, Sabarkantha Aravalli, Navsari and Valsad for July 6; and Banaskantha and Sabarkantha for July 7.
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On Tuesday, a meeting of the Weather Watch Group was also held at the SEOC to review the situation in the state and the preparedness of various departments.
Based on the IMD’s forecast of heavy to very heavy rain in various parts of the state this week, departments have been put on alert, the state government stated in an official release.
A total of 32 teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the State Disaster Response force (SDRF) have been deployed at the district level to meet any emergency situation led by heavy rain. Two teams have been kept on standby.
As per the Irrigation department, out of the 206 reservoirs in the state, 21 are on ‘high alert’, 12 on ‘alert’ and 19 reservoirs on ‘warning’.
Officials from the Road and Building department stated that currently, 94 roads are closed owing to waterlogging and that they will be reopened after the water recedes.
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After a major dip in the maximum temperature, which stood 8.8 degrees below normal on Sunday, it rose on Tuesday despite rainfall. However, it still remained lower than normal.
While Gandhinagar recorded 32.5 degree Celsius, Deesa recorded 33.3 degrees, Ahmedabad 33 degrees, Bhuj 32.5 degrees, Naliya 31.6 degrees — all lower than normal.
Meanwhile, Surendranagar recorded 34.3 degree Celsius, Vadodara and Bhavnagar stood at 34 degrees, Amreli 32.9, Rajkot 32.7 and Veraval at 30.8 degree Celsius.
