Delhi Gets a Monsoon Soak—and a Breath of Fresh Air
Delhi hasn't seen a July like this in years. As the calendar flips to August, the city’s monsoon rainfall stands at Delhi rainfall totals that easily beat its averages. The Safdarjung observatory, Delhi's official weather station, logged 235.2 mm of rain in July, beating out the usual 209.7 mm. Some parts, like Palam, saw 28.3 mm come down in a single day on July 30.
What’s really got Delhiites talking, though, is the air. All this rain isn’t just helping the city’s parched parks—it’s also scrubbing the skies. Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) dropped to 79, marking its cleanest air in ten years for this time of year. That’s a rare relief for a city that too often struggles to see the sky through the haze.
If you’re wondering if you’ll finally get a rain-free weekend, it’s not looking likely just yet. Weather officials predict the city will keep getting light to moderate rain and occasional thunderstorms at least through August 3. Temperatures will hover between a comfy 25.8°C and a warm 32.7°C.
UP and Bihar Face Severe Weather as Central India Dries Up
While Delhi takes a break from the heat thanks to these downpours, other regions aren’t faring as well. In mid-July, a land depression formed over southeastern Uttar Pradesh. This system unleashed massive and, in places, dangerous amounts of rain from Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan through to UP. Towns along the route reported severe flooding, with some areas in Bihar recording 7–11 cm (about 3–4 inches) of rain in just a single day.
Bihar hasn’t caught a break. The IMD has kept the state on alert, warning of more heavy rain in the days ahead. Downpours have caused rivers to swell and triggered fears of waterlogging and floods. Drains are struggling to cope, especially in low-lying areas and poorer urban neighborhoods.
By contrast, central Indian states such as western Madhya Pradesh are finally getting some respite. After weeks of relentless rain, it’s finally letting up. The same trend is hitting eastern Rajasthan, where authorities are eager for a breather after several days of dangerously heavy showers.
Recent rainfall numbers tell the story best: since June 1, Delhi has clocked a whopping 337.2 mm—far above the 270 mm you’d expect by now. Meanwhile, heavy rainfall events continue to be tallied across eastern Rajasthan, western Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Haryana, Punjab, and Odisha. Some of these places saw as much as 7–20 cm in just 24 hours on July 31.
Looking east, the IMD warns that Assam, Meghalaya, and Arunachal Pradesh are poised for a long, wet spell. From August 1–6, heavy to very heavy rains are set to drench this region, with certain pockets bracing for especially intense showers—likely to cause fresh flooding or landslides, especially in hilly areas.
The unpredictability of this year's monsoon is keeping authorities and residents on their toes. Schools in many cities have already shifted to remote classes during the heaviest rainfall, and local agencies are working to keep streets and storm drains clear. With so many places seeing higher-than-normal rainfall, and others relieved to see it finally stop, the forecast for August promises to be just as dramatic as July was.