Delhi: Rainfall this monsoon so far highest in 46 years; record-breaking spree continues

A highly unusual monsoon season this year has yielded 1,136.6 mm of rainfall in Delhi till Saturday evening, the highest in 46 years and almost double the precipitation recorded last year, according to the India Meteorological Department IMD.The figure is subject to change as more rainfall is predicted in the city over the next two days.The Safdarjung Observatory, which is considered the official marker for the city, had gauged 1,150 mm of rainfall in the 1975 monsoon season.

A highly unusual monsoon season this year has yielded 1,136.6 mm of rainfall in Delhi till Saturday evening, the highest in 46 years and almost double the precipitation recorded last year, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

The figure is subject to change as more rainfall is predicted in the city over the next two days.

''The Safdarjung Observatory, which is considered the official marker for the city, had gauged 1,150 mm of rainfall in the 1975 monsoon season. This year, the precipitation has already hit the 1,100-mm mark and the season has not ended yet,'' an IMD official said on Saturday.

Normally, Delhi records 653.6mm of rainfall during the monsoon season, according to the IMD. Between June 1, when the monsoon season starts, and September 11, the city normally gets 590.2 mm of rainfall.

The monsoon withdraws from Delhi by September 25.

''Light to moderate rain is likely in the next two days. Another wet spell is predicted around September 17-18,'' the official told PTI.

In 2003, the national capital had received 1,050 mm of rainfall.

Delhi gauged 636 mm, 544 mm, 876 mm, 370.8 mm and 505.5 mm during the monsoon season in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015, respectively. It recorded 524.7 mm rainfall in 2016; 641.3 mm in 2017; 762.6 mm in 2018; 404.3 mm in 2019 and 576.5 mm in 2020, according to IMD data.

It has been a bountiful September for Delhi, with 383.4mm of rainfall recorded this month till Saturday evening, which is the highest in 77 years, according to the weather department.

The September rainfall this year has been in marked contrast to the last year when the city got a meagre 20.9 mm precipitation in the month against the normal of 129.8 mm.

Delhi recorded more than 100 mm of rainfall on two consecutive days at the start of the month -- 112.1 mm on September 1 and 117.7 mm on September 2. On Saturday (September 11), it recorded 94.7 mm rains.

Despite the monsoon embracing Delhi only on July 13, making it the most-delayed in 19 years, the capital had recorded 16 rainy days in the month, the maximum in the last four years.

The string of rainy days gave 507.1 mm rainfall in Delhi, which was nearly 141 per cent above the long-period average of 210.6 mm. It was also the maximum rainfall in the month since July 2003, and the second-highest ever.

The city recorded just 10 rainy days in August, the lowest in seven years, and a cumulative rainfall of 214.5 mm, lower than the average of 247 mm. Delhi has been logging a new weather record every month since August last year.