Mangaluru: The southwest monsoon, which has been drenching the Karnataka coast with steady downpours, is on track to meet its normal rainfall quota for the year.
From June to September, Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, and Uttar a Kannada districts together are expected to receive 3,101 mm of rain. By August 16, the coastal belt had already recorded 2,386 mm—just 715 mm short of the seasonal target. With over a month of monsoon activity left, meteorologists expect fresh heavy spells in the coming weeks.
The rains arrived early this year, advancing to the Karnataka coast on May 24 instead of the usual June 5. Since then, the monsoon has remained vigorous, rarely showing signs of weakening. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), lower atmospheric pressure is likely to trigger further showers.
District-wise data shows Dakshina Kannada receiving 2,547 mm, Udupi 3,149 mm, and Uttara Kannada 2,044 mm so far. Within Dakshina Kannada, Moodbidri (2,799.1 mm) and Beltangady (2,683.5 mm) have recorded the highest rainfall, while in Udupi, Hebri leads with 3,473 mm.
Rainfall patterns over recent years have shown wide variation from the “normal” 3,101 mm. While 2019 (3,734 mm) and 2020 (3,458 mm) saw surplus rain, 2021 (2,692 mm) and 2023 (2,514 mm) faced deficits. This year, however, the coastal districts have already logged 3,736 mm—20% above average—suggesting another surplus year.
With the season still active, experts believe the region will comfortably surpass its normal rainfall benchmark before September ends.