Water-logging in front of Parliament House after heavy rain in Delhi on Wednesday
After a three-week lull in the monsoon, two successive spells of heavy showers helped cut the rain deficit by more than half in Delhi. The national capital has already recorded 50 per cent more rainfall than the normal in July, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Thursday.
The Met office has forecast light to moderate rainfall over most parts of northwest India till Saturday and the intensity and distribution are very likely to increase later due to southward shift of the monsoon trough.
Since the arrival of the monsoon, rainfall recorded in the city till Saturday, was just about 48 mm; 56 per cent less than the normal in the same time period in others years. According to the IMD data, the Safdarjung weather station, has recorded 225 mm rainfall, in the last few days, which is 50 per cent more than the normal of 149 mm. The Lodhi Road weather station has recorded 246 mm rainfall, which is 64 per cent more than the normal of 149.8 mm. The Palam weather office too recorded 37 per cent surplus rain.
The deficiency, in rainfall in Delhi, between June 1 and July 20 was 43 per cent, according to the weather bureau and now it is only 16 per cent. The city received this season's first heavy showers on Sunday, which submerged low-lying areas in waist-deep water. Safdarjung, Ridge and Lodhi Road weather stations recorded 75, 86 and 81 mm of rainfall. At least four people died in rain-related incidents.
Heavy rain drenched the city again on Wednesday, inundating many areas and causing traffic chaos. There was water-logging in Gurgaon and Faridabad in the national capital region as well.
The monsoon reached Delhi on June 25, two days earlier than the usual date of arrival. Despite that, rainfall remained subdued in the city. According to weather experts, this was due to the absence of a strong supportive weather system such as moisture-laden easterly winds from the Bay of Bengal.