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‘An average rainfall of 197.6 mm has been received against the normal rainfall of 424.3 mm from June 1 to August 31,’ read the government order.

The Andhra Pradesh government has declared a drought in 21 of its 28 districts as the rainfall deficit from June to August in the state stood at 53%, reported The Hindu on Thursday.

The deficit in rainfall was due to the effects of El Niño, which is a phenomenon that involves the warming of ocean surface temperatures in the eastern and central Pacific. It typically occurs every few years and has been linked to reduced monsoon rainfall in India.

“An average rainfall of 197.6 mm has been received against the normal rainfall of 424.3 mm from June 1 to August 31,” The Indian Express quoted the government order as saying.

The government declared the drought for the Kharif season on October 1, reported The Hindu. Such declarations are typically made at the end of October.

The Kharif season in India is between June and October.

The 21 affected districts are Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, Anakapalli, Kakinada, East Godavari, Eluru, Krishna, NTR district, Guntur, Bapatla, Palnadu, Prakasam, Markapuram, Kurnool, Nandyal, Ananthapuramu, Sri Satya Sai, YSR Kadapa, Annamayya and Chittoor.

In September, the Maharashtra government declared drought conditions in 74% of the state’s subdistricts amid a deficit in rainfall during the southwest monsoon season.

The monsoon had set in on June 4, marking the beginning of the four-month rainy season in the country. This year, the monsoon arrived three days later than its usual onset date of June 1.

It covered the entire country on July 9, a day later than the normal date of July 8.

The season ended on September 30 with a 12.6% deficit in rainfall, said the India Meteorological Department. This makes it the driest monsoon in 11 years and the fourth driest in this century.

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