Monsoon line likely to return closer to Delhi-NCR once again, bringing more rain

Monsoon line likely to return closer to Delhi-NCR once again, bringing more rain

The monsoon line is expected to return closer to Delhi-NCR on Monday, bringing more rain as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert for the capital, predicting light to moderate rainfall. The IMD said the region is likely to record light rains till Thursday, while isolated parts may receive moderate rainfall. Delhi did not record any rainfall in the 24 hours till 8.30 am on Sunday or the standard measurement interval between 8.30 am and 5.30 pm. The IMD said in a statement that the monsoon line is hovering near south Odisha, south Chhattisgarh and north Andhra Pradesh. "The line is expected to return closer to Delhi-NCR again, bringing more rains in the region this week," an IMD official said.

Mahesh Palawat, vice president of Skymet Meteorology, said Delhi will record light rain at most places till Thursday, with moderate rain also likely. "It was a temporary break in rains, as the trough moved closer to central India due to a deep depression. With the trough expected to come back closer to Delhi-NCR by Monday, we will again see cloudy skies and rain," he said. The humidity on Sunday ranged between 60% and 94%. Delhi's maximum temperature settled at 36.3 degrees Celsius, two degrees above normal and higher than the 35 degrees Celsius recorded a day earlier. The minimum temperature on Sunday settled at 26.5 degrees Celsius, which was around normal but higher than the 25.4 degrees Celsius recorded a day earlier.

Delhi has so far recorded 882.1 mm of annual rainfall, of which 837.4 mm was recorded in the monsoon months of June, July and August. The IMD has forecast "above normal" rainfall over northwest India for September, which could lead to Delhi crossing the 1,000 mm annual rainfall mark. The long-term average (LPA) for September rainfall in the capital is 123.4 mm. According to the Central Pollution Control Board, Delhi's air quality remained "satisfactory" on Sunday with the air quality index at 99.