The national capital has remained dry in the month of January 2024. Likely showers tonight will be counted against 01st Feb 2024. As per the norms, any rainfall after 8.30 a.m. on the day is accounted for the next day. The base observatory at Safdarjung did not record any measurable rainfall and it just got limited to ‘trace’ on 24th Jan. It was a very light sprinkle at the record station Safdarjung. The airport observatory at Palam did not even record trace and remained anhydrous, throughout the month. Some parts of NCR had recorded rainfall on 24th Jan and managed to come out of the stigma of a rainless month.
January and February are the two rainiest winter months will an average rainfall of about 20mm each. January remained rainless for the record observatories of Safdarjung and Palam. Dropless January has been repeated after a gap of 8 years, as January 2016 also followed the same track. It is only the second time in the last 20 years that the national capital was completely dehydrated in the rainiest winter month. A similar record was attained in 2004 as well. January 2022 has gone on record as the rainiest with 88.1mm rainfall, in the last two decades. It was followed by Jan 2021 and Jan 2019 as the distant 2nd and 3rd with respective monthly rainfall of 57mm and 55mm.
Persistent dry spell is attributed to the absence of active western disturbances. Mild weather system moved across the mountains leading to light rain and snow in the higher reaches only. Plains of North India, including the capital city remained devoid of any wet spell. Induced cyclonic circulations, the main trigger for winter rains have been conspicuously missing, so far. Both mountains and plains have registered large rainfall deficiency to the tune of 98-100% during the month.
Conditions are becoming favourable for the first welcome winter showers over Delhi/ NCR anytime now. Rain and thundershowers will ease the droughty conditions to some extent. Lightening and thunderstorms may as well be accompanied with gusty winds. The weather activity will last till tomorrow and a break thereafter, on 02ndFeb. Another wet spell, indeed lighter than the first, may revisit parts of Delhi and suburbs on the 03rd & 4th Feb. Mercury levels are likely to dip during the day by 2-3°C and hover in the high teens. The minimum temperatures will remain close to the normal between 6-8°C for the next 3-4 days.
Image Credit: dynamitenews
