Orange alert for 'moderate to heavy' rain in Delhi

New Delhi, July 28

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Another spell of “moderate to heavy” rain is likely in the capital on Wednesday with the India Meteorological Department issuing an orange alert, warning of major traffic disruptions and waterlogging in low-lying areas.

MeT officials said Delhi is in for a week-long spell of “light to moderate” rain with the monsoon trough passing through the region.

Rainfall recorded below 15 mm is considered light, between 15 and 64.5 mm is moderate, between 64.5 mm and 115.5 mm is heavy, between 115.6 and 204.4 is very heavy. Anything above 204.4 mm is considered extremely heavy rainfall.

The capital has received 386.3mm rainfall this month so far, which is 103 per cent more than the normal of 190.4mm.  This is the highest precipitation for July since 2003 and the second-highest ever.

On Tuesday morning (before 8.30 am), the Safdarjung Observatory, the official marker for the city, gauged 100mm rainfall in just three hours.

It recorded 5.4mm rainfall in the last 24 hours ending at 8.30 am on Wednesday.

The Palam, Ridge and Ayanagar weather stations received 68.7 mm, 13 mm and 29.1 mm rainfall, respectively.

The capital has recorded 15 rainy days this month so far.

The monsoon, which arrived in Delhi on July 13 making it the most-delayed in 19 years, is now drenching Delhi, flooding low-lying areas and causing long traffic snarls.

Normally, Delhi records 210.6 mm precipitation in July.

The city had recorded 236.9 mm rainfall last year, 199.2 mm in 2019 and 286.2 mm in 2018. PTI