IMD forecasts heavy rain in Delhi from Tuesday evening

IMD’s data between June 1 and August 22 shows that Delhi received a cumulative rainfall of 414.2mm. In August, Delhi received 217.5mm rainfall, which was a surplus of 32%.

Delhi is likely to get another spell of moderate to heavy rainfall from August 25 evening, scientists from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said, adding that light drizzle will continue in many parts of the city. The heavy rain spell may continue till August 27, the scientists said.

A man uses a plastic sheet for cover himself from rain, at Nizamuddin, in New Delhi.(Biplov Bhuyan/HT PHOTO)

IMD’s data between June 1 and August 22 shows that Delhi received a cumulative rainfall of 414.2mm. In August, Delhi received 217.5mm rainfall, which was a surplus of 32%. This month, north Delhi received 271.1mm (a surplus of 52%), northwest Delhi received 179.6mm rain (surplus of 47%), west Delhi got 246.8mm rain (surplus of 38%), southwest Delhi received 217.4mm rainfall (34% surplus) and south Delhi recorded 265.3mm rainfall (surplus of 25%).

Scientists said with another week of rain forecast in Delhi, this August is likely to be the wettest compared to at least the last five years. At present, the record for the highest rainfall recorded in the month of August was in 2010, when 455.1mm rain was recorded.

Last year, in the month of August, Delhi received 119.6mm rainfall and 206.5mm in 2018. Rainfall received in the month of August was also fairly low between 2014 and 2017, when it was between 135mm and 153mm.

Delhi starts recording monsoon rain from June 1 and September 30 is considered the monsoon retreating date.

Officially, monsoon’s arrival in Delhi was declared on July 24.

“Generally in Delhi, the peak rainfall activity is recorded between July 15 and August first week. After this, rainfall continues but is not very heavy. This time, however, we received peak rainfall in August, especially over the last one week. Overall, this monsoon is expected to be good with normal to surplus rainfall,” an IMD scientist said.

Kuldeep Srivastava , head of IMD’s regional weather forecasting centre, said there is a forecast of a heavy spell of rain in areas around south Rajasthan from Saturday till Monday. “Around Tuesday we will witness a shift in the monsoon trough, which will bring rainfall to the national capital,” he said.

“Light rain will continue in many parts, but a proper spell will hit Delhi from August 25 evening, and it will continue through August 26 and 27,” Srivastava said.

IMD data also shows that till July 16, Delhi had a rainfall deficit of 46%, but by July end it was reduced to 29%. Till August 22, the cumulative rainfall deficit in the city stood at 2%. In 2019, the monsoon retreated in Delhi on October 10, with a rainfall deficit of nearly 38%. The city, however, witnessed surplus rainfall in 2018 and 2017, with 770.6mm and 672.3mm rain respectively. The IMD had recorded 524.1mm rainfall in 2016 as against the city’s average of 648.9mm and 515.3mm in 2015. The city had gauged 370.8 mm rainfall in 2014.