Telangana's monsoon 2026: normal on paper, 18 districts short

On paper, Telangana's 2026 monsoon counts as "normal". On the ground, most districts went short.

State total. From 1 June to 30 September 2026, Telangana received 615.5 mm of rain against a normal of 740.6 mm, 17% below normal. That still falls in IMD's "normal" band, but 18 of the 33 districts were deficient (Telangana Development Planning Society, TGDPS).

Driest districts. Jogulamba Gadwal was 41% below normal, Hanumakonda and Narayanpet 35%, Nalgonda 34%, Medchal-Malkajgiri 33%, and Adilabad and Warangal 32%. Hyderabad district was 27% short.

Month by month. June was 12% below normal, July close to normal at −1%, August a steep 38% short, and September below normal for most of the month (Times of India, 30 September 2026). An IMD Hyderabad meteorologist linked the August shortfall mainly to El Niño (The Hindu).

Hyderabad now. The city got 458.5 mm against 627.5 mm. Tanker bookings are about 7,000 a day, up from the usual 3,500 in October, and average groundwater has fallen to 10 m below ground from 3.55 m last year (The Hindu, 16 October 2026).

What's ahead. The state has asked every home to cut water use by at least 20%. IMD Hyderabad expects below-normal rain ahead, with hope of some cyclone rain in November. That is a forecast, not a promise.

Join the El Niño help room on soshyal.com to ask questions and share what you see in your area.