Monsoon checks in,at last

Tuesday evening was little different from the past couple of evenings as dark clouds gathered and,within minutes,a fierce sandstorm whipped many parts of Delhi. Rain followed,like in the last two days.

Only,Tuesday’s showers heralded the monsoon,officially.

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) confirmed that today’s rain marked the first monsoon showers of the season.

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S C Bhan,director of the Safdarjung Meteorological Department,said,“Monsoons are highly unpredictable but the clouds formed today are from monsoon winds. It can no longer be considered pre-monsoon showers.”

Interestingly,meteorological officials earlier in the day had called the morning’s spell of rain pre-monsoon showers. The monsoon usually reaches the Capital on June 29.

The month,though,has mostly seen a dry and hot phase,barring the last three days. Temperatures remained above the 40-degree Celsius mark during most of the month,making it the hottest June in the last 17 years.

Safdarjung Meteorological Department records show the month has seen a total rainfall of just 19 millimetres till June 30,compared to the normal 55 mm rain that lashes the city in June. Records at the IMD say the last time Delhi saw a drier June was in 1992,when the total rainfall recorded was 10 mm.

According to weather officials,western disturbances cause more rains in Delhi but the frequency this year has been very low.

While the city has remained parched,hot and sticky,the weatherman,too,kept changing predictions about the monsoon’s date with Delhi. The meteorological department had last predicted monsoons to reach Delhi not before July 9 but officials today said a sudden surge in the northwest monsoon winds has brought about the unexpected monsoon showers.

Bhan added that the monsoon rains will continue for at least the next three days. “The monsoon reached eastern Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan on Monday and hit Delhi today,” he said.

Delhi recorded 91.6 mm rain last June,and the highest rainfall ever in Delhi occurred in 1936 — it was recorded at 414.8 mm.