As the Monsoon month of August nears an end, the rain across Indian metropolitan cities stayed strikingly different. While the above-average rain added bright colours to the sunset sky of Chennai, it embraced the shades of sunbeam in Delhi leaving the city grapple with a high monthly deficit of over 50 percent. With good rains, Mumbai appears to inch towards monthly average leaving Kolkata with no significant rain showers.
Delhi
Beginning with the national capital, the Monsoon rain observes a shortfall of 52% as the actual rain settled for 120.5 mm as against the monthly average of 253.4 mm for August. Coupled with a high temperature of 40oC, the woes for Delhities do not seem to end. Though according to Skymet Meteorological division of India, there could be marginal decrease in the temperature tomorrow due to mild cloudiness observed today, the amount of rain will remain paltry in coming few days.
Chennai
With an unexpected heavy spell of rain showers, Chennai exceeds its monthly average of 140.4 mm. Tamil Nadu is a rain shadow area as less rain is observed in the region during the Southwest Monsoon season. Such spells of heavy rain are not very common in Chennai during this time. But this year Chennai recorded a monthly average of 186.6 mm which is expected to even grow further in the coming few days.
There has been only two occasions in the last ten years when over 100 mm of rain has been recorded in the city in 24 hours. On 25th August 2011 the city had witnessed the heaviest 24 hour spell by recording 156 mm of rain. The second spell of heavy rain 100 mm on 20th August 2008.
Mumbai
Due to heavy and moderate rain showers during the entire month, the city of dreams appears to inch towards its normal monthly average of 530 mm. It has received rain of 392 mm so far and occasional spell of rain or thundershowers will keep the situation normal in Mumbai.
August began on a very positive note for Mumbai. Till the 6th of August the city had observed 205 mm of rain, with 88 mm being observed on the first day of the month alone.
Kolkata
Even though August is the rainiest month of monsoon for Kolkata, the city is still gripped in the monsoon rain deficiency of 35%. With no significant rain occurrence, the metro city received rain of 228 mm as against the monthly average of 352.4 mm.
