Monsoon update: Delhi receives over 1,100 mm rainfall in 2021, highest in 46 years

The IMD has also forecasted that the conditions favourable for heavy rainfall will continue throughout Saturday.

The South-West Monsoon this year has proved too propitious for the national capital this year as the city has already received more than 1100 mm of rainfall with a few weeks of monsoon remaining. The amount of rainfall received in the city is the highest in 46 years and almost double the amount received during last year, PTI reported. Before the record rainfall this year, the city had received a total of 1050 mm of rainfall in the year 2003, as per the information provided by the Indian Meteorological Department, the Indian Express reported.

The amount of rainfall remained at a low of 34.8 mm in the month of June this year and suddenly spiked to 507.1 mm in the month of July. The rainfall again petered out to a cumulative 214. mm in August to only increase to 248.9 mm in the month of September. It is significant to note that only a third of September has passed and the city has already received a total of 248.9 mm of rainfall. The amount of rainfall received in the first ten days of the month of September has already surpassed the average amount of rainfall received in September in the previous years. If the data is compared with then average of previous years, the month of June and August registered a deficit in rainfall. On the other hand, the months of July and September have received excess rainfall.

It is significant to note that in addition to the 248 mm of rainfall, the city received fresh rains on Saturday morning along with thunderstorms and fast blowing winds. The IMD has also forecasted that the conditions favourable for heavy rainfall will continue throughout Saturday. As per the IMD long horizon forecast, the weather will remain favourable for rains in the national capital till September 16 and the city is likely to receive more showers of the monsoon in the coming days.

Climate activists and weather experts have highlighted time and again that sudden heavy rainfall over a region should not always be taken as a positive sign as the carbon emissions and climate change are turning the weather erratic and unpredictable with wide disparities in rainfall across different regions. In contrast to the sudden lashes of rain, a more widespread and uniform rainfall is considered better from the perspectives of groundwater recharge, benefits to crop.