Gurugram receives 73.4mm rainfall in 24 hours, breaks 25-year-old record

Heavy showers, accompanied by hail storms and strong winds, brought much-needed relief to the residents of Gurugram from sweltering heat and hot winds on Monday morning, with the city recording its highest rainfall at 73.4mm in the month of May in the past 25 years.

Gurugram, which has been witnessing a dry spell since April this year, recorded the previous highest rainfall for May at 53mm in 1987, said Manmohan Singh, director of India Meteorological Department (IMD), Chandigarh.

“We had forecasted rain and storms for the city, and also issued necessary warnings, but the Monday rain crossed the previous highest record of 1987, too. The entire state recorded heavy rainfall on Monday, but it was largely significant in Gurugram... Temperatures in the region would also remain low for the next four to five days, bringing respite to the residents,” Singh said.

A strong western disturbance, along with cyclonic circulation and low pressure over parts of North India, had built up in the region due to cyclonic circulation over North Pakistan, which lead to the widespread rainfall, said Singh, adding that “the region is likely to witness more rainfall and strong winds till Tuesday morning due to the existing low-pressure system”.

“Westerly and easterly winds laden with moistures from the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal always result in heavy rainfall. That is why this system brought in rainfall in Punjab, Haryana and other parts of North India,” Singh said, adding that the maximum temperatures are likely to remain below or just above 40 degrees Celsius (°C) for the next four to five days. “The temperatures may rise afterwards, however, the western disturbance is likely to continue and show its impact periodically.”

According to the IMD, Gurugram also witnessed hail storms — as seen in its radar pictures — on Monday, as the maximum wind speeds hovered over 50-60 kilometers per hour (kmph).

Gurugram on Monday (around 5 30pm) recorded a maximum temperature of 39.3°C and a minimum of 16.5°C — around five and eight degrees below normal, respectively. The city on Sunday recorded the maximum and minimum temperatures at 44°C and 25°C, said the IMD.

The weather department has also predicted a maximum temperature of 42°C and a minimum of 21°C for Tuesday.