Strong start: Monsoon brings season’s 1st heavy rain spell in Delhi
New Delhi, Jun 30 (PTI) The monsoon reached Delhi on Thursday yielding the season’s first spell of heavy rain which provided respite from the oppressive heat and covered the precipitation deficit but brought vehicular traffic in the capital to a screeching halt. Most parts of the capital reported moderate to heavy rainfall.
The Safdarjung observatory, Delhi’s base station, recorded 110 mm of rainfall in just six hours starting at 8:30 am, which is also the maximum on a day in June in at least 14 years.
The capital had gauged 235.5mm of rainfall on June 18, 1936, which is an all-time record. On an average, Delhi logs 65.5 mm of rainfall in the month of June. The weather station at Lodhi Road gauged 102.2mm of precipitation during this period. Ridge got 62.4mm, Palam 31.4mm and Ayanagar 48.3 mm of rainfall.
Rainfall recorded below 15 mm is considered light, between 15 and 64.5 mm is moderate, between 64.5 mm and 115.5 mm is heavy, between 115.6 and 204.4 is very heavy. Anything above 204.4 mm is considered extremely heavy rainfall.
The India Meteorological Department said the southwest monsoon further advanced into Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmiri, some parts of Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan on June 30.
“The northern limit of monsoon now passes through Deesa, Ratlam, Tonk, Sikar, Rohtak, Pathankot,” it said.
The southwest monsoon usually arrives in the national capital on June 27 and covers the entire country by July 8.
The showers, however, brought the familiar sight of snaking lines of vehicles stuck on waterlogged roads for interminable minutes.
Many commuters reported late for office and several people posted their plight through videos and photographs on social media, some seeking help from police.
The IMD has issued an orange alert, warning of heavy rainfall in some areas in the city on Thursday and moderate rainfall on Friday. The maximum temperature will come down to 34-35 degrees Celsius.
Last year, the IMD had forecast that the monsoon would arrive in Delhi nearly two weeks before its usual date. However, it reached the capital only on July 13, making it the most delayed in 19 years.
Weather experts say a gap of three to five days is considered normal.
According to IMD data, the monsoon covered Delhi 29 times in June and 33 times in July in the last 62 years.
The IMD had in 2020 revised the date of monsoon arrival in Delhi from June 29 to June 27.
Weather experts have said the monsoon is expected to yield good rainfall in Delhi in the first 10 days and help cover the rain deficit.
Since June 1, Delhi has received 67 per cent less rainfall than normal, putting it in the category of “large deficient” states. PTI