Karnataka rain deficit narrows to 34%; 18 districts still face shortfall

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, July 7, 2026: Karnataka’s rainfall deficit has shown signs of improvement with the onset of July, declining from 42 per cent at the end of June to 34 per cent during the first six days of the month.

Despite the overall improvement, rainfall distribution has remained uneven, with 18 districts continuing to record deficits of more than 20 per cent below normal.

Vijayanagara remains the worst-affected district with a 61 per cent rainfall deficit, followed by Mysuru (55%), Kodagu (51%), Chikkamagaluru (48%), Davangere (47%), Haveri (46%), Shivamogga (44%), Kalaburagi and Dakshina Kannada (43% each), and Bidar (40%).

During the first week of July, Karnataka received 49 mm of rainfall against the normal average of 50 mm. According to the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC), the state’s three coastal districts recorded 262 mm of rainfall over the past six days, about 17 per cent above the normal for the period. However, since the onset of the southwest monsoon, the coastal region has received only 682 mm of rainfall against the normal 1,055 mm, leaving it with an overall deficit of 35 per cent.

The Malnad region continues to experience one of its weakest monsoon seasons in recent years. The seven Western Ghats districts have recorded only 263 mm of cumulative rainfall against the normal 483 mm, resulting in an overall deficit of about 46 per cent. During the first week of July, the region received 111 mm of rainfall compared to the normal 120 mm.

Meanwhile, 13 districts have recorded normal rainfall, defined as within 20 per cent above or below the seasonal average. Tumakuru topped the list with 17 per cent above-normal rainfall, followed by Chikkaballapur (12%) and Bengaluru Rural (10%). Chitradurga (-11%), Ballari (-11%), Chamarajanagar (-19%), and Vijayapura (-19%) also remained within the normal range despite receiving below-average rainfall.