 "Pre-Monsoon showers bring much-needed respite to Delhi-NCR. Details here")
Parts of Delhi experienced heavy rainfall on Thursday morning (June 27), providing relief from the recent heatwaves. Various media outlets captured significant downpours in areas such as Munirka and Sarita Vihar. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasted more rain throughout the day.
At 7.30 am, the IMD posted on X, “Light to moderate intensity rain and gusty winds with speed of 30-40 Km/h would occur over and adjoining areas of few places of Delhi during the next two hours.”
The IMD also predicted rain for Ghaziabad, Noida, and Gurugram.
This rainfall arrived after Delhi and other northern regions endured weeks of severe heatwave conditions.
Delhi has suffered through nine heatwave days in June so far, a stark contrast to zero days in the same month in 2023 and 2022.
The mercury soared to nearly 50 degree Celsius on more than one occasion, prompting the authorities to issue red alerts for the safety of people.
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On Wednesday, the IMD projected Delhi’s maximum and minimum temperatures to be approximately 38 degrees Celsius and 29 degrees Celsius, respectively.
The Safdarjung Observatory, Delhi’s main weather station, recorded a temperature of 39 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, two degrees above the normal.
Monsoon arrival in Delhi likely by the weekend
A private weather agency forecasted that the monsoon may reach Delhi by the end of this week. Skymet Weather Services indicated that the monsoon is expected to reach Delhi on June 29 or 30.
However, the IMD has not specified when the monsoon current is anticipated to arrive in the capital.
Typically, the monsoon enters Delhi between June 27 and June 29. Last year, it arrived on June 26, and in 2022, the first monsoon showers were recorded on June 30.
Rainfall deficit increases worry for agri-economy
As of June 26, the rainfall deficit expanded to 18.8 per cent, up from 18.6 per cent the previous day, according to the Indian Meteorological Department. Sixteen out of 36 states and Union Territories have experienced a rainfall deficiency of over 33 per cent, with Punjab seeing the most significant decline.
Punjab has seen a 79 per cent decrease in rainfall compared to the normal amount, while Chandigarh’s deficit stands at 93 per cent. The deficit in Uttar Pradesh has narrowed to 62 per cent, but it has widened for Delhi as of Wednesday.
In meteorological terms, a ‘normal’ is based on a 30-year long-period average for a specific region.
A rainfall deficit is expressed as a percentage when the rainfall is below this long-period average.
The situation with reservoir levels has also deteriorated. Nationally, reservoir levels were 9 per cent below normal as of June 20, compared to an 8 per cent deficit the previous week.
Tamil Nadu, Bihar, and Andhra Pradesh all report over 50 per cent deficits in reservoir levels.
A recent report highlighted the impact of climate change on farmers, with 80 per cent of marginal farmers reporting extreme weather events in the past five years.
Economists have warned that this situation could negatively impact farm income, agricultural output, and consumer inflation. Food inflation remained above 8 per cent in May and is expected to stay high in the coming months.
Elevated food prices have caused rural inflation to exceed urban inflation for nearly a year and are expected to continue this trend.
The agricultural sector saw 1.4 per cent growth in FY24, down from 4.7 per cent the previous year, and below the long-term average of 3.7 per cent.
High rural inflation further reduces wages, adversely affecting the rural economy.
Respite from deadly heatwaves
Most areas in Delhi experienced heatwave to ‘severe heatwave’ conditions this summer. The mornings also offer little respite from the heat. On June 17, the minimum temperature touched 33 degrees Celsius, 5.5 degrees above normal. Delhi has already endured eight consecutive days of heatwave conditions, along with three uncomfortably warm nights in June.
The extreme weather conditions were not restricted to Delhi and nearby regions. Many parts of Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Bihar experienced similar heatwave conditions.
The ongoing heatwave affecting vast regions of the country has resulted in a significant number of casualties, with 143 deaths and 41,789 individuals experiencing suspected heatstroke from March 1 to June 20 this year, according to the Health Ministry.
However, the actual toll is likely to be higher as the National Heat-Related Illness and Death Surveillance data, compiled by the National Centre for Disease Control, lacks updated reports from various states.
[With inputs from agencies]