Delhi Rejoices As Trailer of Mansoon Releases

 Delhi Rejoices As Trailer of Monsoon Releases 

The monsoon winds are predicted to arrive in Delhi by the end of this month. India Metrological Department’s data of the past years shows that the rain bearing winds usually announce their arrival with a moderate  rain spell either on the date of onset or a day after.

Between 1960 to 2023 the monsoon reached the capital 33 times in July and 31 times in June. During this period the earliest arrival of the monsoon was on the June 9 in 1961. The most delayed was when the winds reached Delhi on July 27 in 1987.

The Senior scientist of IMD said, The main criterion of determining the onset of monsoon is a precipitation of more than 2 mm.  But it must also be considered that the monsoon progresses in the country step by step. So that the rain occurs in the city under the influence of the western disturbance is not considered the arrival of the monsoon.

Senior scientist also added that apart form rain, some other factors are also considered before the monsoon is declared to have arrived. Met officials said among the factors that are considered when declaring the onset of the monsoon are rain cloud’s without lightning, winds direction, drop in maximum temperatures and rain fall amount and distribution.

The monsoon reached in Delhi on June 25 last year, two days before its normal onset date when Safdarjung which is the city’s base weather station, logged 48.3 mm of rainfall. A year earlier the rain hit on June 30 though the weather station only logged trace rainfall. However very heavy rainfall of 117 mm was received in the average 24 hours rainfall untill July 1. 

The weather in Delhi has a high variation between summer and winter temperatures and precipitation. The city has relatively dry short winters and has a prolonged spell of very hot weather, due to its semi-arid climate. Summers here start in early April and peak in May; monsoon starts in late June and lasts until mid-September; and winter starts in late November or early December and peaks in January. 

Although winters are generally mild, Delhi's proximity to the Himalayas results in cold waves leading to lower apparent temperatures due to wind chill. Delhi is notorious for its heavy fogs during the winter season. In December, reduced visibility leads to disruption of road, air and rail traffic. The arrival of moisture-laden South-Western winds, travelling from the Arabian Sea marks the onset of Rainy season in Delhi. This season is marked by high levels of humidity and high heat. August is the wettest month in Delhi and is marked by dense cloud formation in the sky and at least a week of distinct, very heavy rainfall.

The rains bring relief from the scorching heat, and they also help to clean the air and improve the overall quality of life in Delhi. On the downside, monsoon can also be a time of flooding.

In 2023, Delhi welcomed the onset of the southwest monsoon on June 25. Its arrival signalled abundant rainfall throughout the National Capital Region (NCR), providing much-needed respite from the humidity. As a result, the daytime temperature in the capital dropped to its lowest level for the month of June in over a decade, offering a refreshing change.