Delhi sees Highest rainfall since 1964; more in store
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New Delhi: The monsoon this year has dumped a bounteous 1159.4 mm of rainfall in Delhi till Thursday afternoon, the highest since 1964 and the third-highest since the data has been maintained by the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Delhi's September rainfall has breached the 400 mm mark.
At 403 mm till Thursday afternoon, it is the maximum rainfall recorded in the month since 417.3 mm in September 1944. To put things into perspective, Delhi had received 404 mm rainfall in the entire 2019 monsoon period.
The figures are still evolving as more rainfall is predicted in the city during the month. Experts say that it is on course to become the second-wettest monsoon ever in Delhi by the time it withdraws. Normally, Delhi records 653.6 mm of rainfall during the monsoon season. Last year, the capital gauged 648.9 mm of precipitation. Between June 1, when the monsoon season starts in the country, and September 15, the city normally gets 614.3 mm of rainfall. The monsoon withdraws from Delhi by September 25. According to the IMD, the Safdarjung Observatory, which is considered the official marker for the city, has received 1159.4 mm of rainfall this season till Thursday afternoon. It had gauged 1,155.6 mm of rainfall in 1975 and 1190.9mm in 1964.
The all-time record is 1,420.3 mm rainfall in 1933. Earlier, the weather department issued an orange alert for moderate rain in Delhi during the day. Light rain is likely on Friday. Mahesh Palawat, vice president, Skymet Weather, a private forecasting agency, said: "On and off rains will continue till September 23-24 due to the expected late withdrawal of monsoon." "This means Delhi may record its second-wettest monsoon ever by the time it withdraws," he said. This is only the third time in the last two decades that the monsoon rainfall in Delhi breached the 1000 mm mark.
The city had recorded 1,031.5 mm rainfall in the monsoon season in 2010. In 2003, the capital had gauged 1,050 mm of it. Delhi received 636 mm, 544 mm, 876 mm, 370.8 mm and 505.5 mm during the monsoon season in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 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 the IMD data. September, in particular, has been bountiful.