Monsoon to hit Delhi by Tuesday, normal rainfall likely

TRACKING MONSOON

Conditions are favourable for advance of monsoon into many parts of MP and UP and some parts of Uttarakhand around June 22-23, IMD said

nNEW DELHI: Monsoon will hit the national capital in the next two days, as per the latest advisory by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Sunday.

The India Meteorological Department forecast said with the formation of a cyclonic circulation over West Bengal and the neighbouring areas on June 19 and 20, and its movement towards southwest Uttar Pradesh, because of which monsoon has already approached eastern UP, it will hit Delhi in the next two days.

Kuldeep Srivastava, head of India Meteorological Department’s regional weather forecasting centre, said the forecast shows that “full-fledged monsoon” will arrive in Delhi from June 23.

“Delhi is expected to receive light rainfall on June 21 and June 22. From June 24, monsoon will arrive in full swing,” Srivastava said.

He added that along with the national capital, monsoon will also arrive in northeast Rajasthan and the eastern parts of Haryana on the same dates. Usually, monsoon arrives in Delhi around June 29, but earlier this month the India Meteorological Department had issued a forecast, announcing that this time the arrival date will be advanced to June 27. Scientists also said that the city is likely to receive “normal rainfall” this season.

In 2019, Delhi witnessed the driest monsoon since 2014.India Meteorological Department data showed that last year between June 30 and September 30, Delhi recorded 404.1mm rainfall, as opposed to the 30-year average of 648.9mm, a shortfall of nearly 38%.

HT had reported that for the first time in India Meteorological Department’s monsoon forecast history, India Meteorological Department has also released new monsoon onset and withdrawal dates factoring in likely impacts of climate change that have led to a change in the way monsoon progresses over India.

IMD’S new onset dates are based on analysis of monsoon data from 1961 to 2019 and withdrawal dates are based on data from 1971 to 2019 by scientists in IMD Pune.

GOVT CANCELS LEAVE FOR PWD STAFF

In view of the monsoon approaching the city, the Delhi government’s Public Works Department has directed that no field staff of its maintenance units will be allowed to take leave during this period without prior approval, PTI reported.

The department has also directed inspection of all drainage pumps across the city, a move that is aimed at ensuring no waterlogging in the city during the monsoon period.

There are around 1,250 kms of roads managed by the Delhi PWD in the national capital.

During the monsoon, there are often complaints of waterlogging on roads which cause traffic jams.