New Delhi: Southwest Monsun in Delhi may be erratic and one of the most delayed this season, but has provided the highest rainfall to the national capital in 11 years – 1,005.3 mm so far.
This was the first time since 2010 rainfall rainy season in Delhi violated a 1,000 mm mark.
Usually, Safdarjung Observatory, which is considered an official marker for the city, recorded 648.9 mm rainfall during the average rainy season, according to the Data of the Indian Meteorology Department (IMD).
Between June 1, when the rainy season began, and September 10, got 586.4mm rainfall.
“Delhi has recorded rainfall of 1.031.5mm in the rainy season in 2010.
Since then, this has become the highest rainfall,” said an IMD official.
Delhi explores 636 mm, 544 mm, 876 mm, 370.8 mm and 505.5 mm during the rainy season in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2013 and 2015, respectively.
It recorded 524.7 mm rainfall in 2016; 641.3 mm in 2017; 762.6 mm in 2018; 404.3 mm in 2019 and 576.5 mm in 2020, according to IMD data.
Intense rainfall bursts pounding the capital in July and September – sometimes 100 mm precipitation within a few hours – which soak the road, residential areas, schools, hospitals, and markets in waters and plunge into chaos.
Delhi recorded more than 100 mm rainfall in two consecutive days at the beginning of the month – 112.1 mm at 1 and 117.7 mm in September.
So far have received 248.9 mm rainfall this month, exceeding the September 129.8 mm average rainfall by large margins.
Even though Monsun embraced Delhi only on July 13, making it the most delayed in 19 years, the capital had recorded 16 rainy days of the month, maximum in the past four years.
The rainy day string gave 507.1 mm rainfall in Delhi, which was almost 141 percent above the average length of 210.6 mm.
It was also maximum rainfall in the month since July 2003, and the second highest ever.
The city recorded only 10 rainy days in August, the lowest in seven years, and 214.5 mm cumulative rainfall, lower than an average of 247 mm.
Mahesh Palawat, Vice President, Skymet Weather, Private Forecasting Agent, said the rainy season pattern changed due to climate change.
“The number of rainy days has been reduced for the past four to five years, and there has been an increase in extreme weather events,” he said.
“We have recorded short and intense rain, sometimes around 100 mm rainfall in just 24 hours.
In the past, this amount of precipitation will occur for 10 to 15 days,” he said.
Weather experts say such rain spells do not help refill ground water and lead to flooding in lowland areas.
Water absorbs on the ground if it rains slowly more than four to five days.
In the case of heavy falling, rain water flows quickly, said former IMD official.
“Rain washing pollutants, but because the number of rainy days has diminished, the average annual air quality is also affected,” he said.