Maharashtra’s monsoon season has ended with rainfall below the seasonal average, according to a report by Loksatta – Mumbai, but the figures cited for September require clarification because they do not match one another. The report says the state recorded a 52% rainfall deficit in September and a 19% deficit for the full monsoon season from 1 June to 30 September.
The report attributes the rainfall assessment and forecast to the India Meteorological Department. It says Maharashtra received widespread rainfall in July after a weaker June, but rainfall intensity declined from August. Some parts of the state continued to receive light to moderate rain as the season ended, while the impact of stormy weather was expected to weaken from Friday.
The rainfall pattern is important for both rural and urban systems. A weak monsoon can affect water storage, drinking-water planning, agriculture and the demand placed on local administrations during the post-monsoon period. For cities, the end of the monsoon does not immediately remove water-related risks: reservoir management, groundwater recharge and the distribution of rainfall across regions remain relevant to municipal planning.
According to the report, July brought above-average and widespread rainfall because of active weather systems, providing relief after a deficient June. That improvement was not sustained in August, when rainfall again fell below average. The report further states that rainfall shortages remained substantial in parts of Vidarbha, Marathwada and several areas of Sindhudurg district in the Konkan region.
The report also links the season’s weather outlook to the influence of El Niño conditions in the Pacific Ocean and says the effects of climate change had become more pronounced. Those references are presented as part of the weather assessment cited in the report; the supplied material does not provide additional data to quantify either influence.
However, the September figures require independent clarification. The report states that Maharashtra normally receives 180.3 millimetres of rainfall in September and that 87% of the expected rainfall was recorded during the month. On that basis, the shortfall would be approximately 13%, not 52%. The report also separately describes a 52% deficit for September. It is not clear from the supplied material whether the two figures refer to different geographies, periods or calculations, or whether one figure is a reporting error.
That discrepancy matters because rainfall-deficit figures guide assessments of drought stress, water availability and relief requirements. A state-level seasonal deficit and a regional deficit can coexist, but the geographical or methodological distinction must be stated clearly for the numbers to be interpreted accurately. The supplied report does not provide that clarification.
The report says light to moderate rainfall was continuing in some parts of Maharashtra, while stormy weather was expected to weaken from Friday. Confirmation of the September deficit, the affected districts and the full-season assessment from the India Meteorological Department remains necessary before the rainfall figures can be treated as settled.
