Role of dust on rainfall in northwest India

Summary The inter-dependences between local dust, thermal stability of the air and precipitation have been examined from the available data of two selected pairs of years for the station, Delhi, in northwest India. The indications are that the dust enters into the precipitation picture by virtue of its role in radiation balance during the relatively dry period, January to June, and by virtue of its role in cloud microstructure during the wet period, July to September.