The Southwest Monsoon in Delhi has proved to be extremely disappointing so far this season. There have been very few occasions of good rain in the Monsoon months of June and July. According to the rainfall data available with Skymet the annual rainfall for the National Capital Delhi is 762 mm out of which 90% of the rain is recorded during the Monsoon season from June to September.
But June performed pathetically with only 11.5 mm of rain against the monthly average of 82.5 mm, which is 86% deficient. On the other hand, July did begin on a positive note and occasional showers have continued to be observed in Delhi and NCR area but they have not been good enough to cut down the deficiency that today stands at 16%.
The obvious reason is the lack of weather systems. There haven’t been any weather systems like a Trough or a Cyclonic Circulation impacting the city directly. The El Nino effect is also there.
Monsoon rainfall averages declining
But another thing to consider and give a deep thought to is the declining Monsoon averages in Delhi. For instance, the Long Period Average (LPA) of the Southwest Monsoon is 887 mm which is on a declining trend. According to Monsoon records available with Skymet, between 1981 and 1990 the LPA dropped to 881 mm, while in the next 20 years (1991-2010) this drop was even deep with the LPA settling at 847 mm.
To explain this even better the average rainfall recorded by the Safdarjung Observatory between 1950 to1980 in the month of July was 231.5 mm, which dropped to settle at 187.3 mm for the same month between the years 1981 to 2010. So the drop in the average rainfall in the month of July from 1951 to 2010 has been a substantial 40 mm. There has been a significant decline in the August average as well. The Palam Observatory too has seen a similar shortfall in the averages. Below is a table explaining this drop.
Though fluctuations in the averages are natural, the pace at which this decline has taken place is worrisome. And its impact can clearly be seen in Delhi and its adjoining areas in the form of more dry days. Global warming can be attributed as a factor for this change. So there is definitely a need to protect the environment in order to protect yourself.
Image Credit: DNA India
Any information picked up from here should be attributed to Skymetweather.com