Tauktae effect made May the rainiest in Delhi in 13 yrs: IMD

NEW DELHI: The 144.8mm of rain that Delhi received so far this May is the highest for the month in at least 13 years, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The last time Delhi recorded more rain in May was in 2008, when it recorded 165mm of rain in the entire month.

Over 119mm of rain, induced by the after-effects of Cyclone Tauktae and a western disturbance, lashed Delhi in the 24 hours beginning 8.30am Wednesday till 8.30am Thursday last week, breaking the Capital’s all-time 24-hour rainfall record for the month of May.

“Two main events this month contributed towards that record rainfall. We received a substantial amount of rain on account of Cyclone Tauktae in one day. Then, there was another spell of rain on account of a western disturbance,” said Kuldeep Srivastava, the head of IMD’S regional forecasting centre.

“We also saw rain on account of western disturbances but the major share of rainfall was contributed by the moderate rainfall we received in the aftermath of the cyclone. This was followed by another spell of rain. Prior to that, the highest singleday rain record in May was in 2008,” said Srivastava.

He said that no more rain was predicted this week, and the recorded rainfall could be taken as the reading for the month.

The Safdarjung observatory, whose readings are the considered representative of the city, recorded 21.1mm of rain in May last year. The recorded rainfall for May stood at 26.9mm in 2019, 24.2mm in 2018, 40.5mm in 2017, 24.3mm in 2016, 3.1mm in 2015, and 100.2mm in 2014, IMD data said.

Srivastava said unlike the past few years, Delhi had not recorded any heatwave days so far this May. Meteorologists declare a heatwave when the maximum temperature for a location in the plains crosses 40 degrees Celsius. In the hills, the threshold temperature is 30 degrees Celsius. Also, when the departure in the maximum day temperature is 4.5 degrees to 6.5 degrees above normal, a heatwave is declared.

“The temperature is not expected to cross 44 degrees Celsius. Unless that happens, there will be no heatwave,” said Srivastava.

The minimum temperature in Delhi on Tuesday was 23 degrees Celsius, two degrees more than the previous day’s 21.2 degrees Celsius.

The maximum temperature was 39.4 degrees Celsius, three degrees more than Monday’s reading of 36 degrees Celsius.