Monsoon arrived in Delhi on Sunday, 13 days ahead of schedule. The incessant rain brought down maximum temperature eight points below normal, bringing relief from muggy weather, but water logging and traffic jams marred the joy of a pleasant day.
‘It’s the first monsoon rain in the city almost two weeks ahead of schedule on 29 June,’ said M Duraisamy of Regional Meteorological Centre in Delhi. ‘We formally declared the onset of monsoon in Delhi on Sunday,’ he said. As per records with the weather department, this is the second time since 1998 that monsoon has hit the city so early. The onset of monsoon in Delhi was delayed by eight days in 2012, however it hit Delhi on 26 June in 2011, three days in advance.
The earliest arrival of monsoon in the last 30 years was recorded on 15 June in 2008, while the most delayed arrival was recorded on 26 July, 1987. According to weathermen, monsoon rains covered the entire country on Sunday around one month before its scheduled date of 15 July. So far, the most advanced arrival of monsoon in the country was recorded on 19 June, 1961.
Delhi recorded 36.6 mm rain on Sunday in nine hours ending at 5.30 pm. Weathermen have predicted medium to heavy rainfall in the city on Monday. The maximum and minimum humidity was recorded at 100 and 79 percent respectively.
The maximum temperature on Sunday was measured at 31.5 degree Celsius which was eight points below normal while minimum temperature was recorded at 23.7 degree Celsius which was four points below normal. According to weathermen, the maximum and minimum temperatures on Monday would hover around 31 and 24 degree Celsius respectively. Meanwhile, water logging and traffic jam were reported from several areas like ITO, Ring Road, connecting roads of Delhi airport, Moolchand, Naraina, Mayapuri, Okhla and other areas.