Three-day wet spell brings down rainfall deficit to 51.7% in Andhra Pradesh

After a dry start to the southwest monsoon season, widespread moderate to heavy rain fell across parts of Andhra Pradesh on Saturday, September 12. The low-pressure zone over the Bay of Bengal brought the much-needed precipitation to several districts, including Anakapalli, East Godavari, West Godavari, NTR, Krishna, Guntur, Bapatla, and Palnadu.

In Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam, thunderstorms accompanied the heavy rain, causing waterlogging in low-lying areas and traffic congestion at major intersections. The India Meteorological Department reported a low-pressure system over Coastal South Odisha and North Coastal Andhra Pradesh that day. This is the first time in July and August that the region received substantial rainfall from multiple low-pressure systems.

However, Rayalaseema remained largely unaffected. The Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority recorded the heaviest rainfall in West Godavari and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema districts, with some mandals receiving up to 108.2 mm of rain. Malikipuram in Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema district saw the highest rainfall of the day, 79.7 mm, followed by Vijayawada North with 49 mm.

The low-pressure area over Coastal South Odisha and North Coastal Andhra Pradesh is expected to shift west-northwestwards across South Chhattisgarh and Vidarbha over the next 24 hours. A yellow alert has been issued for Parvathipuram-Manyam and Alluri Sitharama Raju districts, with isolated heavy rainfall anticipated on Sunday, September 13.