With below-average rainfall in March, drought rates advance in Mato Grosso do Sul

Analysis of precipitation during the month of March in Mato Grosso do Sul indicates that 33 cities recorded rainfall below the historical average and only 13 with a volume above expected. This condition favored the advancement of drought in the State.

The report from Cemtec (Weather and Climate Monitoring Center) shows that most of the State recorded rainfall between 0 and 80 millimeters, below average, mainly in the central-south, east and southwest regions. On the other hand, in the north, extreme north and northeast of the state, rainfall was above the historical average, with accumulations between 120 and 240 mm.

Regarding rainy days, in the central-south, west and southeast regions of the State, 20 to 31 days have rainfall below 1 mm. While in the north and northeast regions of the state, rainfall above 1 mm occurred during 15 days of the month.

Among the cities with the least rainfall, Jardim recorded an accumulated rainfall of just 18.6 mm, which represents 86% below expectations. The municipality of Sonora recorded 390 mm of accumulated rain, 106% above the historical average.

Cemtec explains that the historical average is based on climatological data from the Inmet meteorological station (National Institute of Meteorology), located at EMBRAPA Gado de Corte in Campo Grande, with reference from 1981 to 2010. Comparing with the average, the city ranked 87 % below what was expected for March 2024.

Temperature and drought

The highest temperature recorded was 39.7ºC on March 14th and 13th, in Iguatemi and Três Lagoas, respectively. The lowest relative air humidity recorded was 22% in Jardim on the 2nd. The highest gust of wind observed was 100.4 km/h in the municipality of Iguatemi on the 21st.

Laguna Carapã recorded the lowest temperature, 17.3°C on March 26th.

Overall, compared to the previous month, monitoring highlights that there was an intensification of drought conditions in the State. On all three scales, intensity is observed in the dry category, indicating a precipitation deficit.

On a 12-month scale, more intense drought conditions are observed in the central, eastern and northeastern regions of the state. On the other hand, in municipalities in the northern region of the state there was a de-intensification of drought conditions due to the occurrence of significant rains.

“In Mato Grosso do Sul, due to rainfall below the historical average, there was an increase in weak and moderate droughts in the center-south”, points out the report.

For now, there are no municipalities classified in the severe, extreme and exceptional drought indices.

River levels

The month of March presented precipitation values ​​above the historical average in 4 of the 13 stations with monitoring data. The monitoring points with the highest rainfall were the Coxim and Pousada Taiamã stations, recording, respectively, 51% and 62% of rainfall above expected. On the other hand, the stations located on the Paraguay, Aquidauana/Miranda rivers recorded precipitation values ​​well below historical averages.

The stations with the lowest precipitation rates were Porto Esperança, Porto Murtinho and Palmeiras, recording only 3.9%, 9.85 and 11.1% of what was expected for the month of March. All rivers have levels below historical averages for this time of year, with the exception of the Taquari and Aporé rivers, monitored by the Coxim and Cassilândia stations.

Expected in the coming months

In the historical average of accumulated precipitation, expected for the quarter from May to July, rainfall varies between 50 and 200 mm in the northern half and in the south, southeast and southwest regions between 200 and 400 mm. On the other hand, in the northwest and northeast regions of the state, accumulated precipitation varies between 50 and 100 mm.

According to the monitoring model, the accumulated precipitation rates for the quarter indicate that rainfall will be below the historical average in the State.