Monsoon to hit Delhi on July 2, four days behind schedule

IMD has said that there won`t be any pre-monsoon showers in Delhi this year.

Residents in Delhi may finally get some much-needed respite from heat and humidity when monsoon rains come calling, possibly on July 2.

The regional centre of the India Meteorological Department has predicted that Delhi could get its first monsoon showers of the year next Tuesday. Monsoon usually hits the city by June 29 but has been running behind schedule this year. The IMD has also said that there are no pre-monsoon showers expected.

Apart from Delhi, monsoon clouds are expected to cover adjoining areas of the National Capital Region (NCR) and parts of western Uttar Pradesh. The temperature in most of these parts is likely to settle between 35 degree Celsius and 40 degree Celsius but once rainfall activity commences, the maximum temperature is unlikely to cross 35 degree Celsius.

While Delhi has been eagerly waiting for monsoon showers to bring relief from what has been a scorching May and June, there are also concerns about how well the city is prepared to deal with the rain. The city sees clogged roads and overflowing drains in the monsoon season each year. Civic authorities have made it a habit to make tall claims of carrying out desilting works but the promises have repeatedly laid exposed in the years gone by. This year too, authorities have claimed that they are done with the desilting works but the final outcome would only be known once the dark clouds open up over the city.