No rain relief for Delhi

India Meteorological Department (IMD) sources on Wednesday said it was highly unlikely that the monsoon would set in before July. "The monsoon is definitely not going to keep its date for June 29 and we are expecting it instead in the first half of July for northwest India. What is also certain now is that it will be a deficient monsoon at 81% of the long range forecast. Overall a deficient monsoon of 93% for the country is being expected. We are, however, expecting some development in central India by June 30 and only then will be be able to predict more accurately when the monsoon will come to northwest India,'' said B P Yadav, director, IMD. According to IMD records, the 2008 monsoon came a record 14 days earlier than usual. Since 1900, the monsoon has been delayed 63 times while it has come earlier than its scheduled date of June 29 about 38 times. Delhi, more or less certainly, will get monsoon rains only in July and the present heat wave was likely to continue for another three to four days. The situation doesn't bode well for both the water and power situation in the city. The maximum temperature in the Capital inched towards the 44 degree mark as Wednesday recorded a maximum of 43.9 degrees Celsius, five degrees above normal. The minimum was recorded at 31.9 degrees Celsius, three degrees above normal. The highest temperature in the region was recorded in Dholpur in Rajasthan where the maximum temperature went up to 46.5 degrees Celsius. "The situation is not going to change for a few more days and the heat wave that has been affecting northwest India will continue till the end of the week at least. We are expecting no respite and the temperatures will continue to rise. Had the monsoon approached central India at least there could have been some respite but that is expected only at the end of the month,'' said a Met department official. "The heat is becoming just more and more unbearable. It is sheer torture to step out of the house but if there is a power cut then it becomes worse. The children's school is soon to open and I can't think of how they will manage in this weather,'' said Pratibha Kumar, a resident of Preet Vihar. This appears to be the result of Global warming. The whole cycle of summers and winter has gone into disarray.This time around it hardly snowed in places like Shimla, in winters. The rivers are going dry. The very fact is that the rain that we receive is in a duration of 100 hours and it remains a challenge how to utilize this to fullest.There is a hard time ahead for everyone. But we can do something as an individual and that is to conserve energy. This can help in improving the overall power condition in the country. All the best to everyone for facing the severe heat condition