Gurgaon: The monsoon rainfall in the city has slipped into deficit.The district has recorded 1% less rain than normal for the season so far, according to the latest data from India Meteorological Department. A week ago, the monsoon rainfall stood at 12% above normal.The shift is significant because the monsoon season has entered its latter half and the normal rainfall benchmark continues to rise as the season progresses.With little or no rain expected in the city over the coming week, the district’s rainfall departure is likely to deteriorate if the forecast holds.Rainfall departure refers to the difference between the actual rainfall received in a particular place and period and its long-term average or normal rainfall.IMD’s seasonal rainfall map released on Wednesday showed the city had received 338.9mm of rain between June 1 and Aug 19, with a departure of minus 1% from normal.A week earlier, the district had recorded 333.9 mm. This means the city received just 5mm of rain in the week to Aug 19, but its rainfall position deteriorated by 13 percentage points, from a 12% surplus to a 1% deficit.The latest IMD map places the city in the normal rainfall category, which covers a departure from minus 19% to plus 19%. But the district has moved from the surplus end of that band to just below normal within a week.The change also contrasts with the position earlier in the month, when the city was among the southern Haryana districts that had received rainfall above their seasonal normal. On Aug 12, the district’s cumulative rainfall stood at 333.9 mm and was 12% above normal.The latest figures come as the broader rainfall pattern across Haryana remains uneven.While Gurgaon, Rewari, Nuh, Faridabad and several other districts are currently in the normal category, a number of districts in northern and central Haryana continue to show rainfall deficits. Bhiwani and Palwal, meanwhile, remain in the excess category.The latest rainfall figures are likely to add to concerns over the district’s monsoon performance if the dry spell continues. With no rain forecast for Gurgaon over the next week, the district could slip further into deficit, even though its cumulative rainfall has crossed 338 mm for the season.The city recorded Haryana’s lowest minimum temperature at 22°C on Wednesday morning, according to IMD. Gurgaon’s maximum temperature was 34.7 degrees Celsius, which was 0.6 notches higher than the previous day.The maximum temperature in the city on Tuesday was 34.1 degrees Celsius while the minimum was 25.1 degrees Celsius.
