Rajkot/Ahmedabad: After an anxious wait of nearly two weeks, the southwest monsoon finally gathered momentum in Gujarat on Tuesday, bringing torrential rain to parts of south Gujarat and Saurashtra and offering much-needed relief to farmers who delayed sowing due to the prolonged dry spell.Navsari and Savarkundla talukas in Amreli district bore the brunt of the downpour as 64 talukas across the state, mostly in Navsari, Surat and Amreli districts, received rainfall during the day. Navsari recorded the highest rainfall of 94 mm in the 12 hours ending at 8 pm.Despite Tuesday ‘s rainfall, Gujarat continues to face a massive monsoon shortfall. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the state received only 20.5 mm of rainfall against the normal 110.8 mm as of June 30 — an 82% deficit, making Gujarat the most rain-deficient state in the country.The rains came at a crucial time for the agricultural sector. With fields lying dry for nearly 20 days beyond the usual onset period, farmers werewaiting anxiously to begin sowing operations.“We were extremely worried as the rains were delayed by nearly 20 days. There is some relief now, and we hope the monsoon remains active in the coming weeks ,” said Ali Jakhra, a farmer from Ambardi village in Savarkundla taluka.The intense showers also disrupted normal life in parts of Amreli. The Navli River overflowed in Savarkundla, triggering flash floods. A motorcyclist who was swept away by a sudden surge of water was rescued, while several houses and the basements of commercial complexes were inundated. Floodwaters, however, receded by the evening.The rainfall deficit remains widespread. Of Gujarat ‘s districts, only two have recorded rainfall within the normal range (between minus 20% and plus 20%), while all others continue to report deficiencies exceeding 20%. Devbhumi Dwarka has so far recorded zero rainfall, resulting in a 100% deficit.IMD officials, however, expressed optimism that the situation could improve over the coming days.“Moderate to heavy rainfall is likely to continue across parts of the state this week. Normally, the southwest monsoon covers the entire state by the end of June. This year, its advance has stalled near Surat, but atmospheric conditions remain favourable for further advancement ,” an IMD official said.Weather experts also pointed out that although July and August recorded rainfall deficits of over 20% in each of the past five years (2021 -2025), Gujarat still ended up receiving normal seasonal rainfall overall due to stronger spells later in the monsoon.Interestingly, while south Gujarat experienced widespread rainfall and cooler conditions, much of north Gujarat and Saurashtra remained under intense heat. Gandhinagar and Rajkot recorded the state ‘s highest maximum temperature at 40.5 degrees Celsius on Tuesday.
