Monsoon eludes Delhi, IMD office says ‘forecast’ post-rain

In early June, the Met office said conditions will become favourable for the advance of the monsoon in Delhi and other parts of northwest India by July 7.
Representational Image ( Photo |EPS)
Representational Image ( Photo |EPS)

NEW DELHI: The monsoon advanced into more parts of Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana and west Uttar Pradesh on Monday, but continued to elude Delhi, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.With all its predictions for the arrival of monsoon in the city going wrong this year, officials said that the IMD would declare the onset of monsoon over Delhi “once it rains”. 

On Monday, the IMD had predicted that thunderstorms with light to moderate intensity rain were likely in parts of Delhi, the National Capital Region (NCR) and Haryana. “Thunderstorm with light to moderate intensity rain and winds with speed of 20-40 kmph would occur over and adjoining areas of isolated places of Delhi, North-East Delhi, East Delhi, NCR (Noida and Ghaziabad in UP and Sonipat, and Palwal in Haryana),” IMD had tweeted.

It rained in the peripheries of Delhi — Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh and Karnal in Haryana — but clouds hovered over the national capital without giving any relief from the heat. The rains also covered west Rajasthan, Punjab and other parts of Haryana.“All other conditions have developed ... easterly winds over northwest India, cloudiness, increase in humidity etc, but it did not rain in Delhi. Once it rains, we will declare (onset),” IMD Director General Mrutunjay Mohapatra said.

“Monsoon is a large-scale phenomenon. When the monsoon circulation prevails over a region, it does not mean that it will rain in all parts at a time. Widespread rainfall occurs when there is a low-pressure system or a cyclonic circulation. You get rain everywhere. There is no low-pressure system near Delhi or northwest India at present,” he said. 

The IMD had earlier predicted that the monsoon may reach Delhi by June 15, but the wind system entered a “break” phase. In early June, the Met office said conditions will become favourable for the advance of the monsoon in Delhi and other parts of northwest India by July 7. Later, it said Delhi will get its first monsoon rains on July 10. It revised the prediction yet again on Saturday, saying the monsoon may reach the city in 24 hours. 

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