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Akin to last year, Rajasthan is once again facing the fury of unexpectedly heavy rains. In merely two days, some regions have received more rainfall than half of the total monsoon season’s average precipitation.
Hence, after two days of heavy rainfall, the total monsoon season rainfall in Rajasthan has significantly exceeded the meteorological norm. According to data released by the Meteorological Department on August 6, the entire state has received 34.85 centimetres (cm) of rain, which is 40 per cent more than the normal 24.96 cm.
In eastern Rajasthan, rainfall has been 27 per cent higher than average. Normally, eastern Rajasthan receives 350.3 mm of rain by August 6, but this season, 445.2 mm have been recorded.
Notably, even in the traditionally dry western region of Rajasthan, there has been substantial rainfall this year. By August 6, western Rajasthan had received 60 per cent more rain than usual. The normal rainfall for this region from June 1 to August 6 is 169.4 millimetres (mm), but so far, 271.5 mm have been recorded.
Between 8:30 am on August 4 and 8:30 am on August 5, the highest rainfall was recorded in the Tonk district of Rajasthan. Meanwhile, on August 6, there was inundating rainfall in the otherwise arid district of Jaisalmer.
Jaisalmer typically receives an average of 176.9 mm of rainfall during the monsoon season. However, on August 6, the district recorded 96.9 mm of rain. This translates as 55 per cent of the season’s total rainfall occurring in just one day in the desert district.
Similarly, in the Nagar Fort area of Tonk district, 32 cm of rainfall were recorded within 24 hours. For the entire Tonk district, 12.29 cm of rain was recorded on August 5, which is reported to be 1,584 per cent higher than the day’s average.
The average annual rainfall for Tonk district is 61.36 cm. This means that on August 5, Tonk received 20 per cent of its entire year’s rainfall in just one day.
After Tonk, the highest rainfall on August 5 was recorded in Pali district, which is also in western Rajasthan.
In the Sojat area of Pali district, 26 cm of rain was recorded. On August 6, the Sojat area received 10.3 cm of rain, while the Pali block in Pali district experienced the highest rainfall of 25.7 cm for the day.
Overall, Pali district received 72 mm of rain on August 5 and 93.7 mm on August 6. This totals 165.7 mm (16.57 cm) of rainfall in two days. The climate of this area is semi-arid, with annual rainfall ranging from 30 to 50 cm , and an average monsoon rainfall of 47.2 cm. This means that in just two days, Pali district received 35 per cent of the season’s total rainfall.
On August 5, 22 cm of rain fell in Hindoli, Bundi district, in eastern Rajasthan. Typically, Bundi district receives 65 cm to 75 cm of rainfall during the monsoon season. On August 5, Bundi district recorded 13.32 cm of rain, which is 1,700 per cent more than usual.
Similarly, in the Bhilwara district of eastern Rajasthan, the Jahazpur area experienced 21 cm of rain that day. In the Bundi block of Bundi district, 19 cm of rain were recorded, while 18 cm of rain fell in Sarwar and Kekri in Ajmer district.
On August 6, Mohangarh in Jaisalmer recorded 26 cm of rain, and Bhaniyana received 20.6 cm. In Dechu, Jodhpur, 24.6 cm of rain was recorded.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has stated that the heavy rainfall in Rajasthan in a single day was caused by a deep depression in the Arabian Sea.
This deep depression reached eastern Rajasthan on August 4 but weakened into a depression the next day. By the evening of August 5, the depression had further weakened into a well-marked low-pressure area and then into a low-pressure system.