New Delhi:
Delhi today had its date with South-West Monsoon, three days ahead of its scheduled onset in the city, bringing cheers to citizens reeling under severe hot and humid conditions.
"The South-West Monsoon has hit the Capital three days ahead of its normal arrival," BP Yadav, Director of MeT Department, told PTI.
Today, the rains started around 5 am and the rain gauges measured 72 mm of showers in Narela weather station, 52 mm in Peetampura, 25 mm in PUSA area, 8 mm in Najafgarh, 2.4 mm in Safdurjung and 2 mm in Delhi University.
The measurement of rain in Palam weather station was
1.7 mm while the same was 1.4 mm in Lodhi colony station, one mm in each in Akshardhan and Yamuna Sports Complex stations.
The showers brought down the minimum temperature to 25.9 degree Celsius, two degrees below normal and down from yesterday's 30 degrees.
Last year, the monsoon had a late arrival in the Capital. The seasonal rains started only on July 5 last year after a delay of a week.
The earliest onset of monsoon in Delhi in the past 30 years was on June 15, 2008, and the most-delayed onset was on July 26, 1987.
In 2010, Delhi had recorded 772.3 mm of rains compared to normal rains of 645.7 mm. However, in 2009 the city received deficient rains.
The official said north-west India, which includes Delhi, is likely to get around 97 per cent of the average rains.
In the National Capital Region, the heaviest rainfall was received in Hindon which recorded 52 mm of rains, followed by 38 mm in Meerut, 37 mm in Indrapuram, Rohtak 33 mm,Sonepat 20 mm, Mungespur 15 mm, Noida 13 mm, Gurgaon 10 mm and Jhajjar 8 mm.