Second wettest August in 12 yrs

Incessant rains in the Capital in the last one week made this August the second wettest in 12 years.

Incessant rains in the Capital in the last one week made this August the second wettest in 12 years.

Between 8.30am on Tuesday and 8.30am on Wednesday, Delhi recorded the highest rainfall so far this season. While July and the beginning of August were uncharacteristically dry, abundant rainfall in the latter half of this month made up for it.

The Capital received 364.8mm of rainfall in August, 30% above the normal mark. A total of 510mm of rainfall has been recorded since July this year, helping bring down the rain deficit in Delhi from 43% to 15%.

The Met Department predicts that the rest of the monsoon will be equally positive, and plenty of rainfall is expected in September, especially in the first week.

The late monsoon showers also brought relief for the rest of the country, with drought-like conditions easing in most parts, including Gujarat, Karnataka and Maharashtra.

The government believes that agriculture growth may now be positive, after initially estimating flat growth because of drought-like conditions. The rainfall deficiency for the country has reduced from 19% to 13%.