Rainfall in Delhi this monsoon highest in 46 years

A cyclist rides past India Gate during a downpour in Delhi on Saturday morning. Pic/AFP

A highly unusual monsoon season this year has yielded 1,100 mm of rainfall in Delhi so far, the highest in 46 years, and almost double the precipitation recorded last year, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Saturday. "The Safdarjung Observatory, which is considered the official marker for the city, had gauged 1,150 mm of rainfall in the 1975 monsoon season. This year, the precipitation has already hit the 1,100-mm mark and the season has not ended yet," an IMD official said.

Normally, Delhi records 648.9 mm of rainfall during the monsoon season, according to the IMD. Between June 1, when the monsoon season starts, and September 11, the city normally gets 590.2 mm of rainfall. The monsoon withdraws from Delhi by September 25. Meanwhile, the forecourt of the Delhi airport was waterlogged for a "short period" Saturday morning after sudden heavy rains, its operator DIAL said. Sources said five flights were diverted from the airport on Saturday morning due to the bad weather conditions.

Four domestic flights - two of SpiceJet and one each of IndiGo and Go First - were diverted to Jaipur. One international flight - Emirates flight from Dubai to Delhi - was diverted to Ahmedabad, the sources mentioned. Experts say the increase in the number of heavy rain events in many parts of the country is directly linked to climate change. Rainfall recorded below 15 mm is considered light, between 15 and 64.5 mm is moderate, between 64.5 mm and 115.5 mm is heavy, between 115.6 and 204.4 is very heavy. Anything above 204.4 mm is considered extremely heavy rainfall.

Normally, Delhi records just one or two such events during the entire season, said senior IMD scientist RK Jenamani. "The number of ‘heavy rain' days this year is very high as compared to previous years. Most of the rainfall - around 60 to 70 percent of it - has come from the heavy spells," he said. The capital recorded three spells of heavy rain in July - 69.6 mm on July 19; 100 mm on July 27 and 72 mm on July 30. While one heavy such episode occurred last month - 138.8 mm of rainfall on August 21, Delhi has witnessed three such events this month - 112.1 mm on September 1; 117.7 mm on September 2 and 94.7 mm on Saturday.

1,150
Rainfall in mm received in the 1975 monsoon season

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