Delhi records highest-ever 24-hour rainfall in May
NEW DELHI: Delhi received a record 119.3 mm rainfall in 24 hours under the impact of cyclonic storm Tauktae and a western disturbance till Thursday morning, breaking all the previous records for May, according to the IMD.
The rainfall recorded in the 24 hours ending 8:30 am on Thursday was double the previous record rainfall of 60 mm on May 24 in 1976.
“A record 119.3 mm rain fell in Delhi between 8:30 am on Wednesday and 8:30 am on Thursday, which is a new record for May,” said Kuldeep Srivastava, head of India Meteorological Department’s regional forecasting Centre.
The Lodhi road weather station recorded 124.4 mm rainfall during the period, while Palam, Ayanagar, Najafgarh and SPS Mayur Vihar gauged 64 mm, 98 mm, 92.5 mm and 95.5 mm rainfall, respectively.
Rainfall recorded below 15 mm is considered light, between 15 and 64.5 mm is moderate, between 64.5 mm and 115.5 mm is heavy, between 115.6 and 204.4 is very heavy.
Anything above 204.4 mm is considered extremely heavy rainfall. The rainfall in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, northern Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand on Wednesday was a result of interaction between the remnant of cyclonic storm Tauktae and a western disturbance, the IMD said.
R K Jenamani, senior scientist, national weather forecasting centre, said, “May remains generally dry. Normally, Delhi gets maximum of 30 mm or 40 mm (24-hour rainfall) in this month. The rain lasts only an hour or less. But this is completely different system coming from Arabian Sea and meeting with a western disturbance. Because the feature is rarest, so this much rain is not a surprise.”
The national capital recorded a maximum temperature of 31.4 degrees Celsius on Thursday, nine notches below the season’s average, the IMD said. The minimum temperature on Thursday settled at 19.3 degrees Celsius, seven notches below normal.
The city had also recorded a maximum temperature of 23.8 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, 16 notches below normal and the lowest in the month of May since 1951.