Delhi covers monsoon deficiency in four days

Safdarjung, Palam, and Lodhi Road weather bureau stations in south and south-west Delhi have recorded 50%; 37% and 64%, excess rainfall, respectively, for July.

The monsoon deficiency since June 1, which was 29% until Tuesday, was lessened to -16% on Friday, according to the latest data released by India Meteorological Department (IMD) authorities.

Usually, an excess of 19% to deficiency of -19% is considered to be under normal category by IMD.

Delhi doesn’t fall under the rain-deficient category this monsoon.

Most of the rain which helped cover a massive monsoon deficiency of 52% as on July 16 was recorded in the past four days -- between July 18 evening and July 22.

“The heavy and moderate spells of rain received in only four days helped cover the deficiency. Since July 1, Delhi has got rain on 20 to 21 days, but extremely light or trace rainfall on most occasions,” said Kuldeep Shrivastava, head, regional weather forecasting centre (RWFC).

However, rains over northwest India, including Delhi, will reduce significantly with the western end of the monsoon trough moving northwards.

“The monsoon trough is moving to the Himalayan foothills and wind direction has changed to northwesterly over northwest India. Even in the hills, there is no wind convergence as such. There will be very light rain in the hills and northern plains, if at all. Around July 26, the eastern end of the monsoon trough will start shifting bringing a lot of rain to Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Uttarakhand, and other parts of northwest India,” added Shrivastava.

The western end of the monsoon trough at mean sea level is lying close to the foothills of the Himalayas and the eastern end is near its normal position. There is a cyclonic circulation over Bangladesh and adjoining Gangetic West Bengal up to mid-tropospheric levels.

Besides, there is a convergence of moist southerly-south-westerly winds from the Bay of Bengal over the north-east and adjoining east India.

Under the influence of these meteorological conditions, widespread and heavy rain is likely over east and northeast India during the next five days.

IMD has also forecast widespread rain for the west coast and scattered rains over northwest India.

Moderate to severe thunderstorms and lightning is likely to occur over south Bihar, Jharkhand, Vidarbha, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, and Telangana on Friday.