For second year in a row, Delhi records rainfall deficit in August

Last year, the city recorded a lower figure of 41.6 mm in August, and this is the lowest figure for the month from at least 2009 onwards, data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) shows. From 2009 onwards at least, Delhi had not recorded anything less than 110 mm of rainfall in August, till last year.

The rainfall deficit in August this year comes on the heels of five months of above normal rainfall in Delhi. In July, the city saw a large excess of 83%.

While the city saw 11 days of rain this August, there were no heavy rainfall spells. The average number of rainy days in August is 10.2, based on IMD data from 1991 to 2020.

Kuldeep Srivastava, scientist, IMD, said that the low rainfall in Delhi was on account of the position of the monsoon trough. “The monsoon trough was mostly positioned to the north of its normal position. It normally runs through northwest Rajasthan, Gwalior, Allahabad. In this case, it was mostly along the foothills of the Himalayas. Westerly winds were prevailing, resulting in low rainfall,” he said.

Low rainfall also meant that the average maximum temperature in August was the highest for the month since 2014, standing at 35.4 degrees Celsius. A higher average of 36.3 degrees Celsius was recorded in August 2014.

The entire northwest India region has seen below normal rainfall for the month of August, having recorded 123.8 mm, which is 37% below the normal of 197.1 mm, IMD data shows.

So far this season, the Safdarjung weather station, which provides a marker for the city, has recorded 578.1 mm of rainfall, around 12% above the normal of 516.9 mm for the monsoon till August 31.

The dry spell in the city is set to continue for the next six days as well, with no rainfall on the IMD forecast for Delhi. The normal date of withdrawal of the monsoon from Delhi is September 25.