Light rains keep mercury in check in Delhi

Light rains and a cloud cover kept the mercury in check in the national capital on Tuesday and similar conditions are expected over the next two days as well.

The Safdarjung Observatory, which provides official figures for the city, reported 29.2 mm rains till 8:30 am, the maximum in the monsoon season this year.

Between 8:30 am and 5:30 pm, it measured 2.8 mm precipitation.

The weather stations at Palam, Lodhi Road, Ridge, Ayanagar, Najafgarh and Sports Complex received 2, 3.5, 2.3, 9.1, 1 and 2 mm rainfall respectively.

The national capital recorded 56 mm rains from July 1 to July 16, which is 43 per cent less than the 30-year average of 97.6 mm, officials said.

Overall, it has received 67.2 mm of precipitation against the long-term average of 163.1 mm since June 1, when the monsoon season starts.

"The city has received 59 per cent less rainfall in the monsoon season so far," a weather department official said.

Kuldeep Srivastava, senior scientist at the India Meteorological Department, said, "The monsoon trough runs from northwest Rajasthan to Bay of Bengal, crossing south Haryana and south Uttar Pradesh."