Rainfall characteristics, pattern and distribution of Nashik District, Maharashtra, India

Abstract

An attempt has been made to examine the rainfall characteristics, pattern and distribution of Nashik district of Maharashtra state, India. The paper aims to analyze the spatio-temporal variation of Annual Average Rainfall (AAR) of 20 years (2000-2020) of Nashik district. For that monsoonal rainfall data of Nashik district for 15 rainguage stations have been considered. From that data average rainfall data (for 20 years) of the study area have been calculated and presented by graphical method which shows that high rainfall experienced in 2006 within 20 years timespan and followed that 2019. Station wise AAR also depicted through graph which shows that the distribution of rainfall is mostly uneven and highly influenced by the physiography of the region, Igatpuri station recorded maximum rainfall (3118.11 mm) and Deola recorded minimum rainfall (497.44 mm.).  From the calculated data tehsil wise AAR map also has been formed which reveals the western part of the study area receives the highest rainfall (>1000 mm), middle region receives moderate rainfall (600-1000 mm) and in eastern part it become erratic and low (< 600 mm). The result shows that study area has spatio-temporal variability of rainfall due to western ghat at western side. This significant knowledge about rainfall Characteristics are useful for water resource planning and management for Nashik district.