Delhi's primary weather station, the Safdarjung Observatory, has defied expectations this summer season by not experiencing a single heatwave. The observatory, known for recording intense heatwaves in previous years, has remained heatwave-free, with meteorologists attributing this anomaly to excess rainfall and delayed monsoon activity, according to PTI.
According to data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the Safdarjung Observatory, which has consistently witnessed heatwaves since 2011, has not encountered any heatwave conditions so far this summer. Kuldeep Srivastava, the head of the IMD's regional forecasting centre, stated that no heatwaves are expected in the next seven days, marking the first summer in over a decade without a heatwave in Delhi.
Meteorologists attribute the absence of heatwaves to the higher-than-usual western disturbances that have brought excess rainfall to northwest India during the March to June period. In May alone, Delhi recorded 111 mm of rainfall, surpassing the long-term average by a remarkable 262 percent and ranking as the fourth-highest May rainfall since record-keeping began.
April also witnessed significant rainfall in the city, with over 20 mm recorded, the highest for the month since 2017. Although isolated pockets experienced heatwave conditions, the overall absence of sustained heatwaves can be attributed to the frequent spells of rainfall.
The IMD's forecast predicts intermittent rains over the next six to seven days, with the intensity peaking between June 25 and June 27. Maximum temperatures are expected to hover around 35 degrees Celsius during this period.
While the IMD's extended range model suggests an upswing in rainfall towards the end of June, the official declaration of the arrival of monsoon in Delhi is yet to be announced. Traditionally, the rain-bearing system reaches the capital by June 27, but meteorologist Mahesh Palawat from Skymet Weather suggests that monsoon may arrive slightly later, around June 28-29.
On Friday, the IMD announced that the monsoon had further advanced over various parts of Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Vidarbha, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Gangetic West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, and eastern Uttar Pradesh. The southwest monsoon flow has strengthened over the subcontinent, and it is expected to cover additional regions in the coming days.
The prevailing weather conditions, including a cyclonic circulation over the northwest Bay of Bengal and an east-west trough, are conducive to further advancement of the southwest monsoon. The Met department anticipates the monsoon to progress over parts of Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Telangana in the next few days.
