Bountiful September: 3 districts in Delhi get 'large excess' rainfall

New Delhi, Sep 2 (PTI) Three districts in Delhi have recorded "large excess" rainfall since the monsoon season began on June 1, owing to intense bursts of rain in the last two days, officials said on Thursday.

The city has recorded 229.8 mm rainfall since Tuesday morning, surpassing the September average of 129.8mm precipitation by a big margin. Usually, it gauges only 16.7 mm rainfall on the first two days of the month.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Delhi recorded 117.7 mm rainfall in 24 hours ending at 8:30 am on Thursday, the highest on a day in September in 19 years.

This is the second day on the trot that the national capital recorded more than 100 mm rainfall in a day. The city had gauged 112.1 mm rainfall in 24 hours ending at 8:30 am on Wednesday.

The IMD measures monsoon performance in five categories -- large excess (rainfall above 60 per cent of normal), excess (20 per cent to 59 per cent more than average), normal (minus 19 to 19 per cent of normal), deficit (minus 20 per cent to minus 59 per cent) and large deficit (60 per cent below normal).  On an average, Delhi has logged 986.2mm this monsoon season so far, which is 82 per cent more than normal.  Central Delhi has got 1,020.9 mm rainfall so far against the long-period average of 582.3 mm.   New Delhi has gauged 795.3 mm precipitation which is 86 per cent more than normal.

North Delhi has got 963.3 mm rainfall against the usual of 453.4 mm since June 1, according to IMD data.

Only northeast Delhi has recorded "deficit" rainfall -- 368.8 mm against the normal of 582.3 mm.

Northwest Delhi has logged 594 mm rainfall, 49 per cent more than normal, putting it in the "excess" rainfall category.  Southwest Delhi has got 709.3 mm rainfall, 48 per cent more than the long-period average.

The city recorded just 10 rainy days in August, the lowest in seven years, and a cumulative rainfall of 214.5 mm, lower than the average of 247 mm.

In July, the national capital gauged 507.1 mm rainfall, which was nearly 141 per cent above the long-period average of 210.6 mm. It was also the maximum rainfall in the month since July 2003, and the second highest ever.

Despite the monsoon embracing Delhi only on July 13, making it the most-delayed in 19 years, the national capital had recorded 16 rainy days in the month, the maximum in the last four years.  It received 34.8 mm rainfall against the normal of 65.5mm in June.

PTI GVS SRY