IMD says Delhi recorded driest September in 16 years, received less than 21 mm of rainfall

New Delhi: Delhi recorded less than 21 millimetres rainfall in September, the lowest for the month in 16 years, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Kuldeep Srivastava, the head of the IMD’’s regional forecasting centre, said Delhi has already recorded the last rainfall of the monsoon season and any precipitation is unlikely now. The Safdarjung Observatory, which provides representative data for the city, has recorded just 20.9 millimetre rainfall against the normal of 109.3 millimetres this month – a deficiency of 81 percent, according to IMD data. The last time the weather station recorded any rainfall (1.3 millimetres) was on 8 September. According to IMD, the National Capital recorded only three rainy days this September, the lowest since 2016, when it witnessed just two rainy days. Rainfall recorded in September last year was 74 millimetres. It was 237.8 millimetres in 2018 and 158.5 millimetres in 2017. The city gauged 75 millimetres rainfall in September 2016 and 21.8 millimetres in 2015. Before this year, the lowest September rainfall was recorded in 2004 (3 millimetres). Delhi received just 1.6 millimetres precipitation in September 1994, according to the IMD data. Interestingly, the National Capital had gauged 237 millimetres rainfall in August this year, the highest for the month in seven years. Overall, the city has recorded 576.5 millimetres rainfall against the usual of 633.1 millimetres since 1 June, when the monsoon season started — a deficiency of 9 percent. The monsoon is likely to start withdrawing from Rajasthan on 26 or 27 September. Thereafter, it will recede from Delhi, Haryana, west Uttar Pradesh simultaneously by September last week, Srivastava said. The weather system had reached Delhi on 25 June, two days earlier than normal.