Delhi crosses monthly normal of July rain after recent downpour

The national capital recorded 57.6mm of rainfall between 8.30am and 5.30pm on Tuesday, as per IMD data.

The Capital and its surrounding regions witnessed widespread rainfall on Tuesday afternoon, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) repeatedly upgrading its weather warning as the intensity of the downpour exceeded earlier forecasts. The Safdarjung observatory, the Capital’s base weather station, recorded 57.6mm of rainfall between 8.30am and 5.30pm, according to IMD data.

People wade through a waterlogged road in Mayur Vihar Phase 2 on Tuesday. ((Sanjeev Verma/HT Photo))

The latest spell pushed Delhi’s cumulative rainfall for July to around 226mm, pushing the figure past (and comfortably above) the monthly normal of 192.6mm.

Among other observatories, Lodhi Road recorded the highest rainfall during the day at 68.8mm, followed by Safdarjung (57.6mm), Ayanagar (51.5mm), Ridge (40.6mm) and Palam (27.8mm) between 8.30am and 5.30pm. Before Tuesday’s heavy spell, Safdarjung had already received 32.4mm in the preceding 24 hours till 8.30am, while Lodhi Road and Ridge recorded 36.7mm and 37.6mm, respectively.

Neighbouring NCR cities also experienced heavy showers. IMD data showed Noida received 56mm of rainfall between 8.30am and 5.30pm, while Gurugram recorded 35mm during the same period.

The intensity of the rain appeared to catch the weather agency off guard.

IMD had initially issued only a “yellow” alert for rainfall in its night bulletin on Monday night as well as on Tuesday morning. As conditions worsened, it upgraded the warning to “orange” in a press release issued around 11.30am on Tuesday before raising it again to a “red” alert by 12.25pm. To be sure, by this time, several parts of the city were already in grips of heavy downpour.

IMD uses a four-tier colour-coded warning system: green indicates no warning, yellow advises people to “be aware”, orange urges them to “be prepared”, while red calls for immediate action in view of severe weather.

“The city witnessed widespread rainfall under the influence of active monsoon conditions. Heavy to very heavy rainfall occurred over several areas, and intermittent spells are likely to continue through the night,” an IMD official said, requesting anonymity.

The showers also brought a sharp drop in daytime temperatures. Safdarjung recorded a maximum temperature of 29 degrees Celsius (°C), around 5.9°C below normal. Across the city, maximum temperatures ranged between 28.9°C and 29.6°C – about 4°C to 6°C below the seasonal average. Relative humidity remained close to saturation for most of the day.

According to IMD, the enhanced rainfall activity was triggered by favourable monsoon conditions associated with a deep depression over north interior Odisha and adjoining Gangetic West Bengal, along with other weather systems influencing northwest India.

The weather office has forecast a generally cloudy sky with spells of light to moderate rain on Wednesday, accompanied by isolated heavy showers. Maximum temperatures are expected to remain between 32°C and 34°C. Rainfall activity is likely to continue over the next two days before gradually easing towards the weekend.