April 2024 Sees Highest Number Of Rainy Days In 12 Years, Falls Short Of Last Year's Total Rainfall By 7.5 mm: IMD

Rainfall during April 2024 exceeded that of April 2012, which saw eight days of rainfall whereas in 2022, there was only one day of rainfall, and in 2021, not a single day saw rainfall in the capital.

New Delhi: The month of April this year recorded the highest number of rainy days in the last 12 years, with the average total rainfall recorded 7.5 mm less than last year, according to data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Despite the increased frequency of rainy days, the total average rainfall for the month fell short by 7.5 mm compared to the previous year.

While the number of rainy days surpassed that of the previous year, the actual rainfall amount was notably lower, with just 7.5 mm recorded in 2024 compared to 20.1 mm in 2023. However, historical data revealed instances of higher rainfall in April, such as 27.7 mm in 2015 and 26.9 mm in 2017. This year, the capital witnessed seven days of rainfall, surpassing recent years' figures, indicating a notable deviation from the usual weather patterns, reported PTI.

The rainfall during April 2024 exceeded that of April 2012, which saw eight days of rainfall whereas in 2022, there was only one day of rainfall, and in 2021, not a single day saw rainfall in the capital. Delhi on Tuesday recorded a maximum temperature of 36.5 degrees Celsius, three notches below normal, the IMD said on Monday.

The temperature will fall to 35 degrees Celsius on Wednesday due to strong surface winds, Kuldeep Srivastava, scientist and head of the Regional Weather Forecasting Centre, told PTI. This year, April also broke temperature records with a delayed temperature rise after 14 years. 

According to yearly data from the IMD, Delhi typically surpasses the 40-degree Celsius mark in the second and third weeks of April. However, in 2024, the mercury didn't reach 40 degrees until the last week of the month. The IMD data revealed that the last time such a delay occurred in breaching the 40-degree mark was in 2014, on April 29.

April 2024 recorded just a single day when the temperature reached 40 degrees, in contrast to four days in 2023 and 17 days in 2022 when the capital experienced such high temperatures.

The average maximum temperature for April 2024 was 36.9 degrees Celsius, with a minimum temperature of 20.7 degrees Celsius, indicating warmer conditions compared to last year's average maximum temperature of 35.3 degrees Celsius, as per the data.