Monsoon arrives in Delhi; IMD issues yellow alert, humidity remains high

New Delhi: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has officially declared the onset of the Southwest Monsoon over Delhi after favourable atmospheric conditions developed, ending a prolonged spell of heat and humidity across the national capital. However, humidity levels remained high, ranging between 61 and 95 per cent.

The monsoon reached Delhi on Thursday, five days later than its normal onset date of June 27, bringing widespread rainfall and much-needed relief from the prevailing hot and humid weather. Rain lashed several parts of Delhi-NCR throughout the day, leading to a significant drop in temperatures.

Following the rainfall, the IMD issued a yellow alert for Delhi and its adjoining areas for Friday, forecasting a generally cloudy sky with moderate rainfall, accompanied by thunderstorms and gusty winds. The weather department has also predicted generally cloudy skies with moderate rain on July 4, advising residents to keep umbrellas handy over the next few days.

The rainfall brought down the maximum temperature to 33 degrees Celsius, which is 4.4 degrees below the seasonal average. The minimum temperature was recorded at 22.8 degrees Celsius, 5.1 degrees below normal.

According to the IMD, more rain and thunderstorms are likely on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, which could further reduce temperatures by another 2 to 3 degrees Celsius. Daytime temperatures are expected to remain between 33 and 38 degrees Celsius until July 8.

The weather office also announced that the Southwest Monsoon has advanced over Delhi, most parts of Haryana and Punjab, the remaining parts of Uttar Pradesh, and additional areas of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat.

Delhi’s monsoon arrival this year follows two consecutive days of heatwave conditions in late June before thunderstorms and light rainfall brought initial relief. The onset is slightly later than last year, when the monsoon reached the city on June 28. However, it is considerably earlier than in 2021, when it arrived on July 13, and in 2002, when the onset was delayed until July 19.

Over the past 25 years, the monsoon has generally reached Delhi between the last week of June and the first week of July, with June 27 being the climatological normal onset date. IMD records show that the earliest monsoon arrival since 2001 was on June 15 in 2008, while the latest was on July 19 in 2002.

–IANS