Delhi-NCR Sees Record December Rainfall In Last 15 Years, Mercury Drops Sharply

Image: ANI

Delhi-NCR experienced relentless rainfall throughout Friday, recording the highest December rainfall in 15 years. The downpour, which began early Thursday morning at 2:30 am, continued all day, causing temperatures to plummet and leaving the city drenched. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) reported that the Safdarjung Observatory, Delhi's primary weather station, recorded 9.1 mm of rainfall by 8:30 am Friday, with an additional 30.2 mm logged between 8:30 am and 5:30 pm. This brought the total December rainfall to 42.8 mm, the highest since 2009.

Other observatories also recorded significant rainfall: Palam reported 31.4 mm, Lodhi Road 34.2 mm, Ridge 33.4 mm, Delhi University 39 mm, and Pusa 35 mm by Friday evening. For comparison, Delhi recorded no December rainfall in 2022, just 1.6 mm in 2020, and 33.9 mm in 2019, which now ranks as the second-highest in 15 years. The all-time highest December rainfall of 134.4 mm was recorded way back in 1884.

The continuous rain brought the maximum temperature down to 14.6°C on Friday, the lowest December maximum in the last five years. On Thursday, the maximum was 24.1°C. IMD data also showed that previous years saw higher daytime lows in December, with 15.9°C in 2023, 15.6°C in 2022, and 14.3°C in 2019. The mercury also dipped to 9.5°C during the rain, with the IMD predicting that temperatures will stabilize around 15°C (maximum) and 12°C (minimum) on Saturday.

What’s Behind the Rain?

IMD officials attributed the unseasonal rain to an active western disturbance interacting with easterly winds, causing light to moderate rainfall and thunderstorms across northwest and central India, including Delhi-NCR. The weather office forecast a generally cloudy sky with intermittent rain on Saturday. One or two spells of light rain are expected early in the day, followed by cloudy skies. Smog or shallow fog is likely in most areas, with moderate fog in isolated spots during the morning.

Surface winds are expected to come from the southeast at less than 4 kmph in the morning, increasing slightly to 8 kmph from the northeast during the afternoon before dropping again in the evening and night.

The rain caused waterlogging and traffic snarls across the city, with the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) Central Control Room receiving 13 complaints—nine for waterlogging and four for fallen trees. The Public Works Department (PWD) also reported two incidents: one for waterlogging and one for a fallen tree. However, the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) confirmed no major issues as of 7 PM Friday.

The weather’s impact was also visible in the city’s air quality, which remained in the "very poor" category. The 24-hour Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 353 by 4 pm, with Nehru Nagar breaching the “severe” category. Of the 35 monitoring stations, most recorded air quality in the “very poor” and “poor” categories, according to data from the SAMEER app.

Saturday is likely to remain cloudy with occasional light rain in the morning, followed by shallow fog and smog in the evening. The IMD expects the air quality to remain in the “very poor” range due to stagnant conditions.

Despite the disruptions, the much-needed rainfall brought some respite from the dry December weather of recent years. However, the city now braces for colder days and lingering air quality concerns as winter tightens its grip.