After two days of incessant rainfall, Delhi woke up to clear skies on Friday, and weather experts said the city is likely to witness a dry and warmer week, with the monsoon expected to pick up again later in the month. The city recorded well-above-normal rainfall during the first 10 days of July because the monsoon arrived over Delhi on July 2 against its normal onset date of June 27, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
Rainfall Data and Temperature Trends
Safdarjung, Delhi's base weather station, received 132.2 mm of rain against the long period average (LPA) of 52.6 mm for the period, nearly 151 per cent above normal. More than 100 mm of this rainfall occurred over the past two days. The maximum temperature at Safdarjung was recorded at 33.3 degrees Celsius, 2.2 notches below normal, while Palam recorded 33.5 degrees Celsius, 2.6 notches below normal. Lodhi Road recorded a maximum of 33.2 degrees Celsius (0.8 notches below normal), Ridge recorded 33.5 degrees Celsius (2.1 notches below normal), and Ayanagar recorded 33.0 degrees Celsius (3.0 notches below normal). The minimum temperature settled at 25.8 degrees Celsius at Safdarjung (1.5 notches below normal), 24.4 degrees Celsius at Palam (2.8 notches below normal), 25.7 degrees Celsius at Lodhi Road (0.3 notches below normal), 22.9 degrees Celsius at Ridge (3.6 notches below normal), and 24.6 degrees Celsius at Ayanagar (2.4 notches below normal).
Forecast: Dry Spell Until July 15
Mahesh Palawat from Skymet Weather said rainfall activity is expected to remain subdued in Delhi until July 15 because the seasonal trough has shifted towards the Himalayan foothills. "Tomorrow and the day after, there could be isolated trace rainfall, but no major activity is expected," he said. Palawat said temperatures are likely to rise while humidity levels are expected to decrease during this period. He said the seasonal trough could move southwards again after July 15, increasing the likelihood of another spell of rain over the city. He said the return of westerly winds carrying dry air from Rajasthan and central Pakistan had also reached Delhi, resulting in clear skies and bright sunshine after several days of cloudy weather and heavy rainfall. He, however, said if Delhi receives any rainfall before July 15, it will most likely be isolated showers triggered by localised cloud formation rather than widespread monsoon activity. "The recent spell of rain was caused by the seasonal trough, which extended from Punjab to the Bay of Bengal. It was initially situated over central India, causing heavy rains. As the trough gradually shifted northwards towards the Himalayan foothills, it passed over Delhi, triggering widespread rainfall across the city," Palawat said.
Recent Rainfall and Air Quality
The IMD said Safdarjung received 33.6 mm of rainfall in the 24 hours ending at 8.30 am, while Lodhi Road recorded 33.7 mm, Ridge 25.9 mm, Ayanagar 4.2 mm and Palam 1.8 mm. No rainfall was recorded between 8.30 am and 5.30 pm at any of the five weather stations. For Saturday, the weather department forecasts thunderstorms with rain over isolated areas. The minimum and maximum temperatures are expected to stand at 26 and 37 degrees Celsius, respectively. The city's air quality remained in the "satisfactory" category for the third consecutive day, with Air Quality Index (AQI) standing at 67 at 4 pm, according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The AQI was 59 on Wednesday and improved further to 48 on Thursday, marking the cleanest air recorded in Delhi in nearly two years and 10 months. According to CPCB, an AQI between 0 and 50 is considered "good", 51 and 100 "satisfactory", 101 and 200 "moderate", 201 and 300 "poor", 301 and 400 "very poor", and 401 and 500 "severe".
