Friday rain was highest in last 29 years for Delhi: IMD

As many as 47 flights were diverted at the IGI Airport due to thunderstorm between 9 and 10 PM. 
The national capital recorded the highest rainfall in 24 hours in last 29 years on Friday, as the rain gauge read 33.5 mm in Safdarjung Observatory whose data is considered official 
The national capital recorded the highest rainfall in 24 hours in last 29 years on Friday, as the rain gauge read 33.5 mm in Safdarjung Observatory whose data is considered official 

NEW DELHI:  The national capital recorded the highest rainfall in 24 hours in last 29 years on Friday, as the rain gauge read 33.5 mm in Safdarjung Observatory whose data is considered official. Rains lashed the city from Thursday. As many as 47 flights were diverted at the IGI Airport due to thunderstorm between 9 and 10 PM. 

“In 1990, we had recorded  33.47 mm rainfall in the month of December. The maximum number of flights have been diverted due to thunderstorm in a winter months after years... It is unusual because generally flight diversions happen in summers more like in 2018, May when 77 flights were diverted due to thunderstorms,” a senior IMD official told this newspaper. 

In the city outskirts, the Palam weather station registered an all-time December high of 40.2 mm in the last 24 hours. It had received 33.7 mm rainfall on December 3, 1967.The day temperature was recorded to be 18.7 degrees Celsius while minimum temperature was 12.8 degrees Celsius.The IMD has predicted temperature to drop further to 19 degrees Celsius on Saturday while the minimum fall by two notches to settle at 10 degrees Celsius. 

Meanwhile, overall air quality improved to 280 which is under “poor” category from the severe category on Thursday. “The overall AQI is in the lower end of the very poor category on 13th December morning as forecasted. The rainfall associated with western disturbance has contributed to this quick recovery through wet deposition process. The SAFAR model suggests AQI is likely to stay at the poor to moderate category on 14th December,” the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR) said.  

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