Ahmedabad: Gujarat packed nearly two-thirds of its average monsoon rainfall into June and July, powered by a record 553mm drenching in July after repeated spells of heavy to very heavy rain swept the state.According to State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC) data, the July total was the highest for the month in at least the past 10 years, surpassing the previous high of 531mm recorded in 2022. It was only the third time in the decade that Gujarat received more than 500mm in July.The scale of the downpour becomes clearer when measured against Gujarat’s average seasonal rainfall of 908mm. July alone delivered nearly 61% of that figure. With another 35mm recorded in June, the state had received 588mm, or about 65% of its seasonal average, by Saturday morning.
July 2026 Gujarat rain graphic
The rain, however, remained unevenly distributed. South Gujarat had already received 91% of its seasonal average, followed by east-central Gujarat at 62%, Saurashtra at 49% and north Gujarat at 47%. Kutch remained well behind the other regions at 21%.A well-marked low-pressure area brought an average of 80mm across the state during the 24 hours ending at 6am on Saturday. Alerts for heavy to very heavy rain also remained in force for several districts.According to SEOC data, the state recorded scant rainfall this June.The July burst sharply reversed Gujarat’s sluggish start to the monsoon. The state had received only 24.6% of its seasonal average by July 15, but successive weather systems transformed the rainfall tally over the next fortnight.Districts in south and central Gujarat bore the brunt of the intense spells. Parts of Surat and Ahmedabad received more than 200mm in a single day, flooding roads, neighbourhoods and other low-lying areas. Ahmedabad’s official observatory recorded 294.6mm in the 24 hours ending on July 24, its highest July daily rainfall of the 21st century.Ahmedabad city received 570mm in July, accounting for almost all of its season-to-date total of 581mm. The July figure was the city’s second-highest for the month in the past 10 years, behind the 732mm recorded in 2017.The city’s total rainfall so far amounts to about 70% of its average annual rain. In effect, 98% of Ahmedabad’s season-to-date rainfall arrived in July, underscoring how sharply the monsoon intensified after a rain-scarce June.The abundance of rain could prove important in the weeks ahead. IMD’s long-range outlook issued on July 31 indicates that much of Gujarat may receive below-normal rainfall during Aug and Sep.For Aug, parts of Saurashtra and central Gujarat are projected to have a higher probability of much-below-normal rainfall. Across the combined Aug-Sep period, only parts of eastern Gujarat show a probability of normal to above-normal rain, according to the forecast.
