Assessment of groundwater fluctuation and rainfall in Salem region, Tamil Nadu, India

Rainfall is considered one of the most vital climatic elements that plays an important part in regulating regional to global agricultural production and water resource utilization. Its temporal and spatial heterogeneity significantly impacts farm patterns, crop output, and environmental equilibrium. The current research attempts to examine rainfall variability and spatial distribution in the Salem district of Tamil Nadu, India, on the basis of data collected during the decade 2014–2023. For this purpose, rainfall observations from eleven meteorological stations have been examined based on seasonal variability over four different climatic seasons of India; winter (January–February), summer (March–May), southwest monsoon (June–September), and northeast monsoon (October–December). Among the eleven stations, Reddiyur station had the highest intensity of rainfall in most seasons, reflecting local topographic or climatic control. On the other hand, four stations, Kolathur, Omalur and Salem Junction had moderate levels of rainfall, whereas Edappadi, Sankari, and Danishpet had comparatively low precipitation, reflecting spatial variation in the area. Noteworthy is the fact that 2018 witnessed the highest total rainfall, and 2015 witnessed the lowest rainfall. The northeast monsoon (October–December) during the period saw clear patterns following general climatic trends, further supporting the strength of the spatial-temporal model used in the work. The results prove the efficacy of the model to identify extreme rainfall events and distribution with a moderate level of accuracy. These observations are important to maximize agricultural planning, disaster preparedness, and sustainable water resource management in the area.