Surat, Navsari, Bhavnagar, Gir Somnath districts get over an inch of rain today

Surat: The monsoon has departed from most parts of the state, but a well-marked low-pressure area over the east-central Arabian Sea off the Karnataka-Goa coast has brought rain to parts of Gujarat today. As many as 45 talukas in Gujarat witnessed downpours from 6 AM to 6 PM. Among these talukas is Kodinar in Gir Somnath district, which recorded the maximum rain with a 2.52-inch fall, followed by Gandevi in Navsari, which received 1.69 inches. Mahuva taluka in Surat district is also among the only seven talukas that got over an inch of rain by 6 PM. Meanwhile, it has also started raining in parts of Surat city.

This rain has come as bad news for garba lovers, as with just two days left until Navratri, the heavy rainfall may make it difficult to play garba due to the ground becoming too wet and muddy.

In Valsad, when it rained in the evening, the organizers spread plastic over the ground to prevent it from getting too wet, similar to a cricket ground.

Gir Somnath district has received heavy rains again after a long break. By 6 PM, half to two and a half inches of rain had fallen in the district, with the highest water accumulation seen in Kodinar taluka due to the two and a half inches of rain. Additionally, the heavy rains have caused significant losses to farmers’ crops.

A sudden change in weather occurred in Anand district. Since the morning of the eighth day of Navratri, scattered drizzles have been reported in various villages and towns, including Anand city, which has worried the organizers and players of garba.

Rain has slowly arrived in Bhavnagar city and district, causing concerns among street garba organizers and participants.

The state has had better-than-average monsoon conditions this year across all zones, already receiving 138 percent of the season’s average rainfall. In terms of zone-wise rainfall figures, the Kutch zone has received 185 percent, the North Gujarat zone 115 percent, the East-Central Gujarat zone 133 percent, the Saurashtra zone 148 percent, and the South Gujarat zone 142 percent.