Delhi logs wettest first week of August in 15 years as torrential rain brings city to a standstill

Delhi recorded its wettest first week of August since 2011, with relentless rain pushing total rainfall for the first seven days of the month to 127 mm and bringing large parts of the national capital to a standstill on Friday.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the city witnessed its highest rainfall during the first week of August in 15 years, driven by the combined influence of multiple weather systems. The weather office issued a red alert for Delhi as widespread rain continued through the day.

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Several weather stations recorded more than 100 mm of rainfall. Pushp Vihar received the highest rainfall at 111.5 mm, followed by Chhatarpur at 104.5 mm.

Other stations reporting significant rainfall included Ayanagar (87.4 mm), Palam (73.5 mm), Janakpuri (68 mm), Jharoda Kalan (67 mm), Pusa (59.5 mm), Safdarjung (57.3 mm), Narayana (53 mm), Ridge (49.6 mm), Lodhi Road (49.3 mm), Mayur Vihar (36 mm), Najafgarh (24 mm) and Jafarpur (13.5 mm).

Between 5.30 pm and 6.30 pm alone, Mayur Vihar received 24 mm of rain, followed by Pushp Vihar (19 mm), Pragati Maidan (12.5 mm) and Chhatarpur (10.5 mm). Pusa recorded 5 mm, Najafgarh and Pitampura 4 mm each, Narayana 2.5 mm, Jharoda Kalan 1 mm and Jafarpur 0.5 mm, while Janakpuri received no rainfall during the hour.

According to the IMD, the heavy rainfall was caused by the combined influence of an active monsoon trough, a low-pressure area over southwest Uttar Pradesh and adjoining regions with an associated cyclonic circulation, and a western disturbance affecting northwest India.

"The widespread rainfall over Delhi since yesterday has been influenced by the active monsoon trough, which continues to pass through Delhi and other parts of north and east India before extending into the east-central Bay of Bengal. Rainfall activity over Delhi is expected to decrease from tomorrow, with light rain likely over the city during the next two days," an IMD official said.

Earlier in the day, the weather office forecast a generally cloudy sky with heavy rain and said the wet spell is likely to continue until August 10.

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The rain over the past two days pushed August rainfall well above normal across most of Delhi's key weather stations. Till August 7, Safdarjung had received 89.7 mm of rainfall against a normal of 56.9 mm, an excess of 58%, while Lodhi Road recorded 111.7 mm against the same normal, 96% above average.

Ridge logged 94.6 mm against a normal of 51.9 mm, an excess of 82%, while Ayanagar recorded 124.3 mm against a normal of 37.1 mm, 235% above normal. Palam remained the only major station below normal, receiving 50.8 mm against the normal of 53.8 mm, a deficit of 6%.

The spell also increased the number of rainy days this month. Till August 7, Ayanagar had recorded six rainy days, followed by Ridge with five, Lodhi Road with four, and Safdarjung and Palam with three rainy days each.

Persistent cloud cover and rainfall kept temperatures well below normal across Delhi-NCR. The maximum temperature ranged between 26.7 degrees Celsius and 27.5 degrees Celsius, around 5.7 to 7.3 degrees below normal.

Safdarjung, the city's base station, recorded a maximum temperature of 27.5 degrees Celsius, 6.7 degrees below normal, while Ayanagar was the coolest at 26.7 degrees Celsius, 7.3 degrees below normal. The minimum temperature settled at 25.6 degrees Celsius at Safdarjung, 1.3 degrees below normal, while Palam recorded 23.2 degrees Celsius, 3.6 degrees below normal.

Heavy rain over the past two days inundated several parts of the capital, submerging arterial roads under up to four feet of water, stranding commuters in hours-long traffic snarls and leaving vehicles stalled on waterlogged stretches. Many residents also reported difficulty booking cabs to return home.

Despite the wet conditions, Delhi's air quality remained in the "satisfactory" category, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) settling at 63 on Friday. The city's air quality has remained satisfactory throughout August so far.