For Bhopal, this July is driest in a decade

BHOPAL: If the sticky, sweltering July of 2020 seems to be the worst you have seen in Bhopal , it probably is, in at least 10 years.


The rainfall in the city in the past four weeks is the least in a decade — 152mm when the average is 400mm. It’s been uncomfortably hot all month, with maximum temperatures consistently soaring 5 degrees Celsius above normal — just as Tuesday.

Nights are warmer too.

Scattered showers are not ruled out, but there is no hope of a true, monsoon type downpour in the remaining days of July. Widespread showers are expected in August, says the weather department. There is a cycer over southwest Rajasthan that may lead to showers in parts of the state, including Bhopal. The city is praying that it does. In overall terms, Bhopal is 24% rain-surplus, thanks to a wet June.

Showers likely in Bhopal today

Bhopal has received 525mm rainfall between June 1 and July 28, while the ‘normal’ for the period is 423.4mm. If it doesn’t pour in August, however, it will be difficult to get Upper Lake and the dams in Bhopal to full-tank level, which would sound the alarm bells for next summer.

Overall, the state has received less-thannormal rainfall so far. MP has recorded 357.6mm rain since June, well short of the normal mark of 399.8mm. Just how dry it is can be gauged from Tuesday’s rainfall pattern – the highest was just 10mm in Umaria and Seoni. Tuesday’s high in Bhopal was 33.7 degrees Celsius, 5 degrees above normal, while the minimum was 24.9 degrees, two degrees warmer than normal.

Met officials hold out hope of possibility of rain and ‘thundery development’ in Bhopal on Wednesday, but it’s unlikely to cool down the city.

Heavy rainfall is expected in Anuppur, Umaria, Dindori, Damoh, Chhatarpur, Shivpuri, Gwalior, Datia and Bhind.