Delhi-NCR wakes up to heavy rain, thunderstorms; bringing relief from intense heat
Heavy rain, thunderstorms and gusty winds brought relief from the heatwave in Delhi-NCR, as a western disturbance triggered a sharp weather change.
Residents across Delhi-NCR woke up to heavy rain and thunderstorms on Wednesday morning, bringing much-needed relief from the sweltering heat that had gripped the region over the past few days.
The city also experienced gusty winds reaching speeds of 30-40 km/h amid intense thundershowers, which further brought down the mercury.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had issued a yellow alert for Wednesday, predicting that a western disturbance would trigger a sharp change in weather across the national capital and neighbouring regions.
On Tuesday, Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 39.2 degrees Celsius, a slight dip from Monday, which was the second-hottest day of April with a high of 42.3 degrees Celsius.
A cyclonic circulation over adjoining areas of central Pakistan, northwest Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana is currently active and moving towards northeast India, driving the change in weather. According to weather experts, as the system advances from Rajasthan, it may trigger dust storms along with moderate rain and thunderstorms, conditions typical of the pre-monsoon period.
The maximum and minimum temperatures for Wednesday are likely to hover around 38 degrees Celsius and 27 degrees Celsius, respectively, amid continued alerts for thunderstorms and gusty winds, according to the weather department.
The sharp rise in night temperatures over the past few days had led to the season’s first “warm night” conditions in the capital. Such conditions are recorded when the minimum temperature remains 4.5 to 6.4 degrees Celsius above normal while the maximum touches or exceeds 40 degrees Celsius.
Meanwhile, Delhi’s air quality also improved, with the heavy rain washing away pollutants.