Rainfall trends in the Satara district of Maharashtra over the last two decades

Abstract

This study analyzed rainfall trends over the last two decades in 11 tehsils of Maharashtra’s Satara district, including Satara, Jawali, Patan, Karad, Koregaon, Khatav, Man, Phaltan, Khandala, Wai, and Mahabaleshwar. Rainfall data from the Satara district was analyzed for monthly and annual rainfall trends for 21 years (2000-2020). The monthly and annual rainfall data was obtained from the Mahaagri website (www.mahaagri.gov.in). Rainfall data was analyzed using a variety of methods. To investigate rainfall variability, the mean, standard deviation, and coefficient of variation of monthly and annual rainfall data were determined. For 11 tehsils, the yearly rainfall was divided into three categories: low rainfall (291-1455 mm), moderate rainfall (5432024 mm), and high rainfall (650-2894 mm). Monthly and annual rainfall in all tehsils in the Satara district showed variations in rainfall every two or three years. The study revealed that tehsils in the east, such as Man, Khatav, and Phaltan are prone to drought, but the districts in the west receive excess rain. Keywords: Rainfall variability, Annual, Monthly, Decades, Trend analysis, Drought