Rainy Weekend - Followed By Rainy Week For Delhi: August Starts On Extremely Wet Note

Key Takeaways:

• Delhi remained mostly dry, with only isolated light showers of less than 1 mm during the last 24 hours.
• Rainfall will remain patchy through Friday before increasing over the weekend, especially on Sunday.
• The heaviest and most widespread rain is expected on Monday and Tuesday as the monsoon trough shifts over Delhi.
• Persistent clouds, lower temperatures, and pleasant mornings are likely to dominate the weather through next week.
• Forecast Validity: Next 5 to 7 days.

Delhi largely remained dry during the past 24 hours. There was a light splash in isolated pockets for a brief duration, amounting to less than 1 mm of rainfall. Safdarjung, Palam, and the Lodhi Road office did not record any rainfall. The day temperature at Safdarjung rose to 34.2°C, an increase of 5°C from the previous day, though it still remained a notch below normal. Rainfall activity will remain patchy today and tomorrow and is expected to pick up over the weekend, more so on Sunday.

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The monsoon trough remains the main trigger for Delhi's weather at this time of the season. Courtesy of the depression over Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, the trough is positioned well south of Delhi, passing through Bikaner, Kota, Guna, Sagar, and then through the centre of the depression. A western disturbance is also present over the northern mountains, providing another favourable catalyst for monsoon showers. However, the two systems are currently too far apart to interact effectively for any notable weather activity. With the likely westward movement of the depression and its subsequent weakening into a low-pressure area over Rajasthan and Gujarat, conditions are becoming favourable for a wet start to August in Delhi.

After remaining mostly dormant for the next two days, weather activity will make a mild start on Saturday and turn into a decent spell of rain over many parts on Sunday. By then, both weather systems will be favourably placed, almost in juxtaposition. There will be a significant increase in the intensity and spread of rain and thundershowers over the following two days—Monday and Tuesday. The monsoon trough in the lower levels will pass through Delhi on 3rd August and shift slightly north of the city on 4th August. Complemented by the western disturbance, the downpour could be heavier on Monday.

Thereafter, the monsoon trough will become occluded but continue to oscillate close to the foothills, maintaining close proximity to Delhi. The weather will retain its monsoon character with spells of rain and persistent cloud cover throughout the week. Nights and early mornings will become fairly pleasant, while the day temperature will remain confined to the lower 30s. Overall, weather conditions are unlikely to become oppressively sultry, and the comfort index is expected to remain largely favourable.