Recently India Meteorological Department has issued an orange alert for moderate rain in the capital on Friday, with the return of the monsoon in northwest India. The rain is expected to bring the maximum temperature down to 32 degrees Celsius in three to four days. Delhi has shown just 63.2 mm precipitation against the normal of 157.1 mm so far this month as the capital and the neighbouring regions in northwest India had entered a break monsoon phase, the second this season, on August 10.
The IMD has now projected moderate to isolated heavy rain in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab and Delhi between August 19 and August 23 with the restoration of the monsoon. Weather specialists said good rainfall in the last 10 days of the month is expected to cover the rain shortfall in the capital. Normally, the capital measures 247.7mm rainfall in August. The IMD had earlier predicted normal rainfall for Delhi this month. During the monsoon season, there are spells when the monsoon trough shifts closer to the foothills of the Himalayas, leading to a sharp decline in rainfall over most parts of the country.
However, rainfall increases along the foothills of the Himalayas, Northeast India and parts of the southern peninsula. In July, the monsoon had entered the first break phase even before reaching most parts of northwest India, including Delhi. The capital had gauged an unusual 507.1 mm rainfall this July, which was nearly 141 percent above normal. It was also the maximum rainfall in the month since July 2003, and the second-highest ever. Owing to the intense bursts of rains in July, the capital has gauged 605.1 mm rainfall since June 1, when the monsoon season starts, against the normal of 433.2 mm.
Britain to accept 20,000 Afghan refugees; UK Home Secretary Priti Patel
