The monsoon has been in a "weak phase" over Delhi despite arriving a fortnight ahead of schedule and heavy showers may not occur in the city for at least another week, the met office said Saturday.
The low atmospheric pressure over Madhya Pradesh has been blamed for less than expected monsoonal rainfall in the national capital.
"Low pressure triggers rains. However, it has not shifted over Delhi yet... It is causing heavy rains in MP, parts of Uttar Pradesh and south-eastern Rajasthan," a senior India Meteorological Department (IMD) official said.
"Thus, there haven't been widespread rains in Delhi. The monsoon is in a weak phase over the region," the official added.
The monsoon arrived in Delhi June 16. However, besides light rains on a couple of days, the weather in the capital has remained largely sunny and sultry since then.
The moisture and wind, which come from Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea and cause rain, are not getting converted into precipitation, according to the IMD official.
"Moisture is present in the atmosphere that's why the humidity levels are high. But it is not causing heavy rains," the official said, adding that IMD's forecasts of light rain almost every day in the last two weeks were not wrong or misguided.
"In our forecast, we clearly say that light rain may occur in some parts. Our forecast is not only for Delhi but for the entire NCR (National Capital Region)," the official said.
"It may not rain in Safdarjung (where the IMD office is located) but light rains have been taking place every other day in parts of the NCR since the onset of monsoon," the official added. "The rains are light and may not be measurable."
According to IMD, Delhiites can expect light rains in the next 24-48 hours. However, there is no forecast of heavy rains.
"There is a strong possibility of Delhi getting rains in the next couple of days... I don't see any possibility of heavy rains in the next week. But situation may improve after that," the IMD official said.
