W E L C O M E

METEOROLOGICAL
DROUGHT
ANALYSIS USING
GIS

OBJECTIVES
1. To calculate normal rainfall for the basin
2. To prepare Thiessen raingauge network
using GIS software
3. To evaluate drought severity thematic
maps using GIS

STUDY AREA
K-11 sub basin or Palleru basin of River
Krishna, A.P.,India.
Latitudes between 160 39 & 170 50 North
Longitudes between 790 17 & 800 09 East
Catchment area : 3,263km 2
Catchment area : 2,068km2 (upto Palleru reservoir)

Raingauge stations
Palakurthy

Maripeda

Kodagandla

Noothankal

Torrur

Atmakur

Tungaturthy

Kushmanchi

Aravapally

Mothey

Raingauge network in the basin

Salient features
Ten rain gauge stations are in and around
the sub-basin.
The weighted average monsoon rainfall
varies from 382 to 1342mm with average
of 862 mm.
The maximum and minimum temperature
recorded are 41.30C and 16.10C
respectively.

 The sub basin is under the influence

of South West monsoon winds with a
little influence of North East monsoon
winds.
The sky is heavily clouded during the
South West monsoons. During the
remaining part of the year, the sky is
clear or lightly clouded.

Classification of droughts
The National Commission on Agriculture
(1976)

Meteorological drought
Hydrological drought
Agricultural drought

 Meteorological drought
It is a situation when the actual rainfall is
significantly lower than the climatologically
expected rainfall over a wide area.

Hydrological drought
It is associated with marked depletion of
surface water and consequent drying up of
lakes, rivers, reservoirs etc.
Hydrological
drought
results
if
meteorological drought is sufficiently
prolonged.

 Agricultural drought
It is a condition in which there is
insufficient soil moisture available to a
crop results in reduction of yield.
Agricultural drought is the end effect of
meteorological and hydrological drought
and its severity is assessed from the crop
yield.

 Drought indicates deficit of

Rainfall

Runoff
Water availability,
Soil moisture,
Ground water,
Surface water
Crop yield

 Data used
Daily rainfall data from 1992 to 2004
Toposheets used 56-O7, O10, O11, O12,
O15, O16, 56-P13, 65-C4, 65-D1

Software used
Arc GIS 9.1
Micro Soft Excel

 Irrigation Commission report, 1982

The percentage deviation
Pact Pmean
MDt
X 100
Pmean

where:
MDt = Percentage of meteorological deviation,

Pact = Actual rainfall in the time period t,

Pmean = Long term mean rainfall

DROUGHT ASSESSEMENT
Sl.No

Percentage Deviation
(MDt)

Class

Category

>0

M0

No drought

0 to 25

M1

Mild

-25 to 50

M2

Moderate

<-50

M3

Severe

Methodology
Calculation of normal rainfall
- normal year
- South West monsoon
- North East monsoon
Deviation of rainfall from the normal rainfall
Preparation of Thiessen network
Evaluation of drought severity at each sub station
The drought severity values of all the ten rain gauge sub
basins were exported to the GIS software to generate
drought severity maps

Results
Mild to moderate drought:
1992, 1994, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 and
2004
No drought
1995-96, 1996-97, 1997-98 and 1998-99

Yearly rainfall in each sub basin

Year

PALA
KURTHY

KODA
KANDLA

TORRUR

MARI
PEDA

TUNGA
TURTHY

NOOT
HANKAL

ARVA
PALLY

ATMA
KUR

MOTHEY

KUSHU
MANCHI

1992

622.10

510.80

687.00

644.30

530.30

585.60

606.80

600.70

544.20

660.30

1993

781.70

797.50

652.60

686.10

880.00

676.60

825.20

664.00

696.55

729.10

1994

900.20

733.00

799.60

802.73

807.50

779.80

548.10

641.50

735.15

828.80

1995

1042.00

830.20

879.10

922.33

864.70

847.40

1003.80

923.50

982.00

1040.50

1996

1280.00

787.40

1173.50

784.20

1041.40

824.20

937.90

612.80

411.30

980.20

1997

1106.90

790.10

766.40

694.90

600.00

741.80

810.90

383.90

570.40

995.10

1998

1073.50

1129.60

1059.40

1285.90

1054.00

951.50

596.60

697.80

620.20

1002.10

1999

739.70

651.90

792.20

618.20

499.10

395.80

149.80

316.70

369.20

719.70

2000

841.20

1205.30

1327.60

1103.30

881.60

911.90

659.30

561.00

463.10

1243.70

2001

943.10

576.30

662.50

711.00

691.00

818.20

590.80

542.40

401.20

800.90

2002

574.50

546.60

650.00

608.40

676.00

627.20

566.80

345.20

342.00

620.70

2003

870.70

744.50

1077.80

1098.20

976.40

636.20

853.50

455.90

464.70

892.60

2004

816.90

577.40

717.30

596.30

749.80

361.60

539.60

478.30

320.20

792.40

Normal
rainfall

891.73

760.05

865.00

811.99

788.60

704.45

668.39

555.67

532.32

869.70

Illustration of drought severity IMD (Annual)

Year

PALA
KURTHY

KODA
KANDLA

TORRUR

MARI
PEDA

TUNGA
TURTHY

NOOT
HANKAL

ARVA
PALLY

ATMA
KUR

MOTHEY

KUSHU
MANCHI

1992

-30.24

-32.79

-23.24

-20.65

-32.76

-16.87

-9.21

8.10

2.23

-24.08

1993

-12.34

4.93

-27.08

-15.50

11.58

-3.95

23.46

19.50

30.85

-16.17

1994

0.95

-3.56

-10.66

-1.14

2.39

10.70

-18.00

15.45

38.10

-4.70

1995

16.85

9.23

-1.78

13.59

9.64

20.29

50.18

66.20

84.48

19.64

1996

43.54

3.60

31.12

-3.42

32.05

17.00

40.32

10.28

-22.73

12.71

1997

24.13

3.95

-14.37

-14.42

-23.93

5.30

21.32

-30.91

7.15

14.42

1998

20.38

48.62

18.37

58.36

33.64

35.07

-10.74

25.58

16.51

15.22

1999

-17.05

-14.23

-11.49

-23.87

-36.72

-43.81

-77.59

-43.01

-30.64

-17.25

2000

-5.67

58.58

48.34

35.88

11.78

29.45

-1.36

0.96

-13.00

43.00

2001

5.76

-24.18

-25.98

-12.44

-12.39

16.15

-11.61

-2.39

-24.63

-7.91

2002

-35.57

-28.08

-27.37

-25.07

-14.29

-10.97

-15.20

-37.88

-35.75

-28.63

2003

-2.36

-2.05

20.42

35.25

23.80

-9.69

27.69

-17.95

-12.70

2.63

2004

-8.39

-24.03

-19.85

-26.56

-4.93

-48.67

-19.27

-13.92

-39.85

-8.89

Illustration of drought severity IMD (North East Monsoon)

Year

PALA
KURTHY

KODA
KANDLA

TORRUR

MARI
PEDA

TUNGA
TURTHY

NOOT
HANKAL

ARVA
PALLY

ATMA
KUR

MOTHEY

KUSHU
MANCHI

1992

79.4

17.3

-40.7

11.3

63.2

-33.9

-16.4

25.4

-32.6

-73.0

1993

-13.8

-100.0

-42.1

2.1

46.3

97.8

55.8

-23.1

-4.0

-18.9

1994

124.6

15.1

-33.6

-31.3

-28.9

-7.6

-20.3

4.4

-6.0

-16.3

-35.5

29.1

1995

-53.1

-100.0

59.4

60.4

61.4

1.9

76.5

100.0

1996

247.1

1.0

19.5

-34.6

-48.3

-70.0

-32.1

-8.6

-69.6

-4.4

1997

49.3

61.6

14.7

-55.7

-51.3

-30.3

-27.9

-67.1

-31.9

138.6

1998

23.3

275.6

30.3

70.1

-100.0

-100.0

-100.0

100.0

-100.0

100.8

1999

-100.0

-100.0

-100.0

100.0

-100.0

-100.0

-100.0

100.0

-100.0

-100.0

-100.0

-20.6

2000

-10.3

145.0

270.6

55.3

-100.0

-43.6

-96.4

100.0

2001

61.1

12.1

-77.6

-3.9

-12.8

86.8

-22.8

94.2

-87.5

-49.5

-14.4

258.0

2002

-100.0

94.6

-0.1

110.1

-100.0

-100.0

-48.1

100.0

2003

-52.4

-35.4

115.4

-30.8

-20.6

81.4

99.5

-88.7

-59.2

-9.3

2004

77.5

-29.6

-46.8

-26.6

38.4

-93.0

21.1

85.2

-62.3

35.9

Illustration of drought severity IMD (South West Monsoon)

Year

PALA
KURTHY

KODA
KANDLA

TORRUR

MARI
PEDA

TUNGA
TURTHY

NOOT
HANKAL

ARVA
PALLY

ATMA
KUR

MOTHEY

KUSHU
MANCHI

1992

2.53

-15.05

16.77

1.95

-12.86

-0.86

2.34

0.22

-8.03

13.00

1993

14.79

21.32

-3.49

11.69

26.87

-6.54

18.08

-2.67

-87.07

7.03

1994

7.64

-5.20

9.66

9.99

10.31

4.03

28.44

17.42

-2.66

12.09

1995

13.65

-8.64

-6.73

-7.55

-8.36

-8.97

6.62

1.63

6.66

11.69

8.97

32.23

-52.26

12.09

6.87

17.82

43.90

-21.46

7.12

4.90

34.47

23.25

-31.85

1.66

-24.64

71.48

39.70

-29.71

37.03

0.07

26.85

37.69

-48.56

36.42

-37.47

23.20

1996
1997
1998
1999
2000

30.20
48.14
13.00
40.83
-8.51

-11.72
-7.99
8.10
24.12
28.57

33.83
-0.27
11.13
50.83
39.43

-9.52
5.34
34.50
17.70
19.18

22.72
-11.66
16.28
-4.97
-2.08

-2.08

2001

38.64

-16.14

3.14

6.13

3.54

17.30

-11.64

26.70

2002

6.33

-4.39

17.45

6.60

25.11

16.08

3.42

-36.11

-39.15

4.66

2003

9.23

-7.13

31.72

37.57

21.91

-23.46

3.66

42.50

-42.05

11.04

2004

33.06

-0.15

27.67

3.05

24.71

-33.56

12.52

30.68

-44.48

32.89

Annual
drought
assessment
using GISusing
for the
Annual
drought
assessment
years
2003the years 2003
GIS for

Severe

Moderate

Mild

No

Annual drought assessment using

GIS for the years 2004

Severe

Moderate

Mild

No

Severe

Moderate

Mild

No

Seasonal drought assessment

(North East Monsoon) using
GIS for the years 2003

Severe

Moderate

Mild

No

Seasonal drought assessment (North East Monsoon)

using GIS for the years 2004

Severe

Moderate

Mild

No

Seasonal drought assessment

(South West Monsoon) using
GIS for the years 2003

Severe

Moderate

Mild

No

Seasonal drought assessment

(South West Monsoon) using
GIS for the years 2004

Future scope for work

Mandal network in the study area

Correspondence address
Dr.G.K.Viswanadh,
Professor,
Dept. of Civil Engineering,
J.N.T.U. College of Engineering
JNTU Campus,
Hyderabad
e-mail: gorti_gkv@yahoo.co.in

M.V.S.S.Giridhar
Head
Dept. of Civil Engineering,
C.M.R. College of Engineering & Technology,
Kandlakoya (v), Hyderabad
email: mvssgiri@yahoo.com

References

Giridhar. MV.S.S. (1995) Validation of satellite

derived drought assessment through water
balance approach at Mandal level an
unpublished M.Tech thesis.

Subramanyam, V.P. (1967), The problem of

incidence and spread of continental drought,
WMO report no: WMO/IHD-2, Geneva, p.52

Subramanyam, V.P. and Sastry, C.V.S.(1969),

Climatic analogues for the dry regions of
India Tropical Ecol. Vol.10, No.1, pp:34-54