The national capital, Delhi, was deluged with a heavy downpour on 19th & 20th August, the first day being more punishing than the second. The satellite locations of Gurugram, Noida, Faridabad, and Ghaziabad also got submerged with incessant rains lasting about 36 hours. Mostly the low lying areas, deep underpasses and blocked drainage pockets turned in to ponds and puddles restricting road traffic and resulting snarls. The crisis seems to be easing out with a break in the continuous downpour almost over most parts of Delhi/NCR.
The oscillation of the monsoon trough resulting influx of moisture with the southwesterly winds has resulted in this deluge. With the low pressure area over the central parts shifting westward, the trough now is likely to shift south thereby changing the airflow over the region. For the next three days (21-23 August), only patchy showers not amounting to any major breakdown are expected providing a breather to execute relief and recovery. The rains are going to visit again after this break possibly with renewed vigour between 25th and 27th August.
A blessing in disguise, these rains have recovered the huge rainfall deficiency for the national capital. The shortfall of 35% at the start of August has nearly turned normal and more showers are in the offing. The Palam observatory recorded 89.1 mm of rainfall in 24 hours which is the second-highest since 2009. The highest being 101 mm measured on 28 August, 2018. The base observatory Safdarjung gauged 54.8 mm rain and the total of this month shot up to 204 mm against the monthly normal of 232.5 mm. It is very likely to reach or cross this figure in the upcoming spell.