Late September showers brought a winter-like chill to Delhi-NCR on Tuesday, with the national capital waking up to cooler temperatures and overcast skies.
The region is likely to receive isolated rainfall on Tuesday, extending the light spell recorded on Monday. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), mainly dry weather is expected from September 30, with largely clear skies likely to prevail through the first week of October.
Rain, thunderstorms and lightning are expected at isolated places across Delhi, Chandigarh and Haryana on Tuesday, with similar conditions likely in Punjab. From September 30, mainly dry weather is expected over several parts of northwest India.
As the southwest monsoon nears its final withdrawal from the country, rainfall activity continues over several regions. The IMD has forecast rain across parts of North India, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, the Northeast and southern India, with some areas likely to experience heavy showers accompanied by strong winds and lightning.
Heavy rainfall is likely in Himachal Pradesh, parts of the Northeast, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and South Interior Karnataka. Rain and thunderstorm activity may also continue over Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh.
Delhi recorded 4.3 mm of rain at Safdarjung on Sunday morning, after receiving 0.6 mm until 8.30 pm the previous evening, extending the wet spell into the final days of September. The September 27 rainfall was the first recorded this late in the month since September 29, 2019, when the station recorded 0.3 mm.
The late-season showers came four days after the southwest monsoon withdrew from Delhi on September 23. The IMD’s normal withdrawal date for the national capital is September 25, based on the 1971-2019 period.
This year’s withdrawal was the earliest since 2002, when the monsoon exited Delhi on September 20. The 2026 monsoon arrived on July 2, five days later than the normal onset date of June 27, and lasted 83 days, seven days shorter than the normal duration.
Delhi’s rainfall during the season was uneven. Safdarjung recorded 728.6 mm of rain between June 1 and September 23, against the normal 629.7 mm, a surplus of 16 per cent. The IMD classified the seasonal rainfall as normal despite it being above the long-period average.
The late September showers added at least another 4.3 mm to the rainfall recorded at Safdarjung by Sunday morning.
(IANS Inputs)
