Delhi weather: Dry spell likely for next few days, says IMD

Met officials said that as the monsoon trough has shifted to the north of Delhi, the Capital along with some other neighbouring states might experience a dry spell for the next few days

From Tuesday, Delhi is likely to witness “break monsoon” conditions for the next seven to ten days, India Meteorological Department (IMD) officials said.

Dark clouds hover over India Gate in New Delhi. (Arvind Yadav/HT PHOTO)

Met officials said that as the monsoon trough has shifted to the north of Delhi, the Capital along with some other neighbouring states might experience a dry spell for the next few days.

“Monsoon entering a break phase means that there is no intense system that can result in rainfall. It happens when the monsoon trough moves to another region. From August 10, the trough is likely to move north to the Himalayan foothills. During this period, parts of northwest and central India will mostly be dry till the trough again starts moving towards the south. Good rainfall spells may occur once the monsoon recedes, covering for the first half,” said Kuldeep Srivastava, head of IMD’s regional weather forecasting centre.

The break may last till around August 19, said experts. This is a usual phenomenon that is observed almost every other year.

“In the absence of rainfall, the temperatures are likely to rise and may be above the season’s normal,” Srivastava added.

He added that though Delhi receives most of its monsoon rain in August, showers in the second half may be able to cover for the entire month. The city usually gets 247mm rain in August.

Forecasters said that break monsoon conditions are not uncommon in northwest India around August, when the region has already received a round of rain spell, before monsoon showers resume again.