Monsoon likely to reach Delhi on Saturday

New Delhi: Monsoon is likely to reach the national capital on Saturday, 13 days after the usual date of June 27, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Friday.  This will be the most-delayed monsoon in Delhi in the last 15 years, according to officials.

“Conditions are favourable for further advance of the southwest monsoon over Delhi; remaining parts of West Uttar Pradesh; some more parts of Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan during next 24 hours,” the IMD said in a statement.

As a result, light to moderate rainfall is likely over Delhi and nearby regions in the next five to six days.

According to Kuldeep Srivastava, the head of the IMD’s regional forecasting centre, monsoon had reached the capital on July 7 in 2012 and July 9 in 2006.

In 2002, Delhi received its first monsoonal showers on July 19. The city had recorded the most-delayed monsoon arrival on July 26 in 1987, he said.

After arriving two days late in Kerala, monsoon had raced across the country, covering eastern, central and adjoining northwest India seven to 10 days earlier than normal. But then, with conditions remaining unfavourable for its advance, monsoon weakened and entered a “break” phase.

The meteorological office had earlier predicted that the wind system may reach Delhi by June 15, which would have been 12 days early.

Normally, monsoon reaches Delhi by June 27 and covers the entire country by July 8. Last year, the wind system had reached Delhi on June 25 and covered the entire country by June 29.

Delhi has received 44.1mm rainfall against the normal of 104.2mm so far – a deficiency of 58 percent, since the monsoon season started on June 1.