Delhi-NCR skilled relentless rainfall all through Friday, recording the very best December rainfall in 15 years. The downpour, which started early Thursday morning at 2:30 am, continued all day, inflicting temperatures to plummet and leaving the town drenched. The Indian Meteorological Division (IMD) reported that the Safdarjung Observatory, Delhi’s major climate station, recorded 9.1 mm of rainfall by 8:30 am Friday, with an extra 30.2 mm logged between 8:30 am and 5:30 pm. This introduced the whole December rainfall to 42.Eight mm, the very best since 2009.
Different observatories additionally recorded vital rainfall: Palam reported 31.four mm, Lodhi Highway 34.2 mm, Ridge 33.four mm, Delhi College 39 mm, and Pusa 35 mm by Friday night. For comparability, Delhi recorded no December rainfall in 2022, simply 1.6 mm in 2020, and 33.9 mm in 2019, which now ranks because the second-highest in 15 years. The all-time highest December rainfall of 134.four mm was recorded method again in 1884.
The continual rain introduced the utmost temperature right down to 14.6°C on Friday, the bottom December most within the final 5 years. On Thursday, the utmost was 24.1°C. IMD information additionally confirmed that earlier years noticed larger daytime lows in December, with 15.9°C in 2023, 15.6°C in 2022, and 14.3°C in 2019. The mercury additionally dipped to 9.5°C in the course of the rain, with the IMD predicting that temperatures will stabilize round 15°C (most) and 12°C (minimal) on Saturday.
What’s Behind the Rain?
IMD officers attributed the unseasonal rain to an lively western disturbance interacting with easterly winds, inflicting gentle to average rainfall and thunderstorms throughout northwest and central India, together with Delhi-NCR. The climate workplace forecast a typically cloudy sky with intermittent rain on Saturday. One or two spells of sunshine rain are anticipated early within the day, adopted by cloudy skies. Smog or shallow fog is probably going in most areas, with average fog in remoted spots in the course of the morning.
Floor winds are anticipated to return from the southeast at lower than four kmph within the morning, growing barely to eight kmph from the northeast in the course of the afternoon earlier than dropping once more within the night and night time.
The rain prompted waterlogging and visitors snarls throughout the town, with the Municipal Company of Delhi (MCD) Central Management Room receiving 13 complaints—9 for waterlogging and 4 for fallen bushes. The Public Works Division (PWD) additionally reported two incidents: one for waterlogging and one for a fallen tree. Nevertheless, the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) confirmed no main points as of seven PM Friday.
The climate’s influence was additionally seen within the metropolis’s air high quality, which remained within the “very poor” class. The 24-hour Air High quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 353 by four pm, with Nehru Nagar breaching the “extreme” class. Of the 35 monitoring stations, most recorded air high quality within the “very poor” and “poor” classes, in keeping with information from the SAMEER app.
Saturday is prone to stay cloudy with occasional gentle rain within the morning, adopted by shallow fog and smog within the night. The IMD expects the air high quality to stay within the “very poor” vary resulting from stagnant situations.
Regardless of the disruptions, the much-needed rainfall introduced some respite from the dry December climate of current years. Nevertheless, the town now braces for colder days and lingering air high quality considerations as winter tightens its grip.
