No respite from incessant rains any time soon
This year's record rainfall that has been routinely disrupting normal life and unleashing chaos on Delhi's roads is here to stay.
This year's record rainfall that has been routinely disrupting normal life and unleashing chaos on Delhi's roads is here to stay.
The Met Department does not see any significant change in the weather pattern in the next few days. While officially Delhi's monsoon is supposed to last till September 15, this year there is no guarantee that it will ebb even after that.
"So far it has rained 745.2 mm, which is around 73 mm more than the total average rainfall Delhi receives in the whole of monsoon between June and September," said the duty officer at the Safdarjung unit of the India Meteorological Department.
"This year the intensity of rainfall has been greater than previous years, which means more rainfall took place in less time."
Delhi has not seen this kind of rain in a decade, according to the Met Department. Delhi receives around 797 mm rainfall in the whole year. The monsoon months usually contribute around 672 mm. This year, so far, the monsoon months alone are threatening to go past the whole year's figures.
According to the weatherman, the string of rainbearing "systems", which are a combination of a variety of factors ideal for rainfall, like clouds, wind pattern, and humidity lashing North India is the main reason behind the incessant downpour.
Between Friday morning and Saturday morning, the Capital received around 34 mm of rain.
"It is the Arabian sea that is to be blamed," said O P Sharma, chief meteorologist at SkyMet, a private weather services company based in Noida.
"It is fuelling the western disturbances with extra moisture and causing this rainfall in Northwest India."
The torrential rainfall is closely linked with the rise monsoon-related diseases.
The number of dengue cases has crossed the 1,000 mark in Delhi in August itself. The disease, which usually peaks in October, is spreading alarmingly this year.
According to Municipal Corporation of Delhi officials and doctors, the number is going to rise further, as the city has witnessed unusually high quantity of rain this season.
Apart from dengue, waterlogging at various low-lying areas in the city has led to rise in seasonal diseases such as cholera, typhoid and gastric infections.
According to the National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting, the next five days will see rain and thundershowers.
The maximum and minimum temperatures on Saturday hovered between 34 degree Celsius and 35 degree Celsius.