Delhi tops 1,000 mm rainfall as wet spell continues into September

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Delhi has breached 1,000 mm of rainfall for the season as rain continues to lash the national capital and its surrounding region. The city had already crossed its annual average rainfall mark of 774 mm last month.

Dark clouds hovered over the skyline, and steady rain was witnessed from morning hours, keeping the city wet throughout the day. The city crossed the 1,000-mm mark after two continuous days of intermittent showers lashed the city.

Breaking down the data, Delhi had recorded 963.4 mm of rainfall till August 31 this year. It received another 37.8 mm on September 1 and 16 mm till 5.30 pm on Tuesday, pushing the total past 1,000 mm.

Delhi had crossed its annual rainfall mark of 774.4 mm on August 14, the fastest such development since 2021, when this mark was reached on August 1.

According to the data, August this year ended with a monthly rainfall of 400.1 mm, which is 72 per cent above the long-period average (LPA) of 233.1 mm. This made it the wettest August since 2010, when Delhi had recorded 455.1 mm of rainfall.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said more showers are expected in the coming hours, with forecasts indicating light to moderate rainfall at several places in Delhi.

The city is currently under a yellow alert ("be aware"), as per the IMD's colour-coded system.

The weather department has also urged residents to follow the dos and don'ts it has issued for extreme weather conditions. Moderate to heavy rain has been forecast for the city, with precautionary guidelines circulated by the department.

Till 5.30 pm, the city's primary weather station at Safdarjung recorded 16 mm of rainfall, while other stations reported 20.6 mm at Ridge, 8.9 mm at Lodhi Road, and 7.8 mm at Palam, IMD data showed.

Intermittent rains also lashed Delhi on Monday. In the last 24 hours till 8.30 am, the city's primary weather station recorded 37.8 mm of rainfall, while Lodhi Road received 35.2 mm. Other stations reported higher rainfall, with Aya Nagar recording 95 mm and Palam 57.4 mm, according to the data.

Meanwhile, the intermittent rains in the national capital also kept the maximum temperature below average at 29.4 degrees Celsius, 5.1 notches below normal. The minimum settled at 21.7 degrees Celsius, 4.8 notches below normal, according to the weather department.

For Wednesday, the weather department has forecast a cloudy sky with moderate rain. The maximum and minimum temperatures are likely to be around 31 and 22 degrees Celsius, respectively.

The air quality was recorded in the 'satisfactory' category at 4 pm on Tuesday, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) reading of 52, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data showed.

According to the CPCB, an AQI between zero 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'.