NEW DELHI: The arrival of monsoon over Delhi is likely to be late this year.
With India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicting that monsoon may not advance any further over the next seven days, its onset is likely to happen after the normal date of June 27 in Delhi.
The Met department had earlier forecast monsoon to reach Delhi by June 15.
“Southwest monsoon 2021 has so far covered most parts of the country except parts of Rajasthan, Delhi, Haryana and Punjab.
However, further progress of monsoon over the remaining parts of the country is unlikely during the next seven days,” said IMD on Tuesday.
Kuldeep Srivastava, scientist at IMD, said, “There are chances of cloud formation on June 25 while parts of Delhi may witness very light rain on June 26.
The weather is largely expected to remain dry over the next seven days and hence, the onset of monsoon may be late.” The capital recorded a hot day on Tuesday as the maximum temperature rose to 39.8 degrees Celsius, one degree above normal.
The minimum temperature was recorded at 27.4 degrees Celsius, one degree below normal.
The relative humidity oscillated between 81% and 31%.
According to the forecast of the Met department, there is a possibility of very light rain or thundershowers on June 26 while thundery formation is expected on June 25 and 27.
The maximum temperature may hover around 40 degrees Celsius on Wednesday and Thursday.
It is likely to come down to 38 degrees Celsius on Friday.
Meanwhile, Delhi’s air quality deteriorated on Tuesday as the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of the national capital was recorded at 127 in ‘moderate’ category.
“AQI is likely to deteriorate and stay in the ‘satisfactory’ to ‘moderate’ category for the next three days,” stated System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research.