According to Skymet Meteorology Division in India, a total of 103 mm of Monsoon rain has been observed in the month of July against the long term average (LPA) of 210.6 mm. There were 9 rainy days and rainfall in the city was deficit by 51%.
As July is the main Monsoon month, the rainfall is expected to have spatial distribution, which means most of the Delhi should get nearly similar amounts of rain. However, micro analysis of rainfall distribution reveals something else.
Let us divide Delhi into five parts –Northwest, Northeast, Central, Southeast and Southwest – and take a look at the rainfall pattern this Monsoon.
| Area | No of Rainy Days | Places to receive rain | Average rain in July | Deficit against normal of 210.6 mm |
| Northwest | 7 | 1 | 114 mm | 46% |
| Northeast | 8 | 2 | 173.5 mm | 18% |
| Central | 8-15 | 3 | 104.3 mm | 50.5% |
| Southeast | 6 | 1 | 61 mm | 71% |
| Southwest | 5-15 | 3 | 132 mm | 37% |
It is evident from the table that Monsoon rain is far from evenly spread across Delhi, as the number of rainy days vary from 5 to 15. Rainfall amount varies from 61 mm to 194 mm and rain deficit has a low of 34% and a high of 71%. Therefore it can be safely concluded that Monsoon has been patchy this year, something that Skymet Meteorology Division in India has been saying all along.
The million dollar question, however, is whether rain in August will be more uniform and cover the deficit left by June and July?
Just in case you think Monsoon variability is peculiar to this year then think again, because the lowest rainfall recorded in July is 98.0 mm in 2006. The highest during the month in last one decade is 632 mm, recorded in 2003.
