From drizzle to downpour, Delhi caught in rain roulette

NEW DELHI: The city has seen uneven rainfall since the arrival of the monsoon. North-west, north Delhi and New Delhi districts have seen large excess rainfall at 129%, 91%, and 69%, respectively, this season. However, the west Delhi has seen a rain deficit of 99%.

India Meteorological Department’s data from June 1 to July 8 shows that the entire city has logged an average rainfall of 116.3 mm.The normal is 98.9 mm.
IMD has placed Delhi in the ‘normal’ category.
SD Kotal, a scientist at IMD, said: “The distribution of rainfall varies from place to place. It depends on atmospheric conditions and local geographical condtions.”
Another Met official said: “Local factors, including urbanisation and green cover, influence rainfall pattern. Open spaces with green cover are likely to see more rain than the highly concretised areas.”
West Delhi, which is the only district to occupy a place in the ‘large deficit’ category, has received just 1 mm of rainfall as opposed to the normal of 111.8mm between June 1 and July 8. North-east Delhi has seen a rain deficit of 59% as the district has received 46.4mm.
For IMD, June to Sept is the monsoon but the onset of the season in Delhi was on June 28. Before the arrival of the monsoon, the city had witnessed very light rainfall.
North-west Delhi, which has so far received the highest rainfall, recorded 176.5mm, which was 129% in excess of the normal.
However, four districts--- central, east, south and south-west--- have found a place in the ‘normal’ category.
IMD classifies rainfall as a deficit when it is short by 19%. If the rain falls between -19 and 19%, it is classified as normal, and between 20 and 59%, it is excess rainfall. Large excess is when rainfall is 60% more than the normal for that area.
The Met department’s forecast says that there are chances of very light to light rain on Tuesday and Wednesday, but the city may receive light to moderate rain or thunderstorm or lightning on Thursday. IMD has issued a yellow alert for Thursday for light to moderate showers as the city may get additional moisture from Arabian Sea. “Heavy rain is unlikely over the next few days,” said Kotal, the India Meteorological Department scientist.
The maximum temperature was recorded at 32.2 degrees Celsius, four degrees below normal, on Monday. The minimum temperature stood at 25.6 degrees Celsius, two notches below normal.