Delhi rainfall
© Indian Express photo by Abhinav Saha
Last month, Delhi received the highest amount of rainfall it ever has in the month of March, effectively making March 2020 the wettest one on record for the region.

According to the India Meteorological Department's (IMD) regional met centre in New Delhi, Delhi's base monitoring station at Safdarjung recorded 109.6 mm rainfall between March 1 and 31, 2020 — a whopping 589% more than its long-term average for the month, which is a mere 15.9 mm. In the process, March 2020 surpassed the previous record-holder, i.e. March 2015, during which Delhi had received rainfall worth 97.4 mm.

Further, Delhiites also witnessed the fourth wettest March day on record last month, as the Safdarjung station recorded a 24-hour downpour worth 37 mm on March 15, 2020. In comparison, the highest single-day rainfall, at 62.2 mm, was observed way back in 1915.

Each of Delhi's districts also recorded 'large excess' (LE) rainfall as compared to their respective long-term averages for March.

Northeast Delhi led the way with 131.4 mm rain (852% LE), followed by North Delhi (105.5 mm, 1406% LE), New Delhi (81.2 mm, 386% LE), South Delhi (71.9 mm, 421% LE), East Delhi (59.2 mm, 329% LE), and lastly, Southwest Delhi (54.5 mm, 198% LE). Rainfall figures for central, west, and northwest parts of Delhi were not defined.

These record-breaking rainfall figures were registered thanks to the barrage of at least seven western disturbances (WD) that hit the northern and northwestern states of India in March 2020.

These WDs — storms driven by westerly winds that originate over the Mediterranean sea and pick-up moisture along the way — consistently caused unseasonal rains, snowfall, and thunderstorms over the region, creating unusually wet conditions for this time of the year.

Now, the start of April is set to follow a similar route, as the IMD predicts a fresh WD will affect north and northwest India from the night of Sunday, April 5.