Residents of the Delhi-NCR region woke up to light rain and thunderstorms on Sunday, bringing relief from soaring temperatures across the national capital and adjoining areas. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for Delhi, warning of moderate rain, gusty winds and lightning.
The temperature recorded at Safdarjung, the city’s base station, stood at 22 degrees Celsius as of 7:30 am. The rainfall was accompanied by strong winds, lightning, and a slight chill in the air, which contributed to the comfort of residents.
Orange alert in Delhi and Ghaziabad, yellow in Noida
While an orange alert has been declared in the national capital as well as Ghaziabad, a yellow alert has been issued for the neighboring Noida district.
This indicates light to moderate rainfall and a maximum surface wind speed of less than 40 kilometers per hour, according to the IMD.
“The first pre-monsoon rains”
Some areas of Punjab, Haryana and Delhi may receive rain over the next two days, Mahesh Palawat, vice president of meteorology and climate change at Skymet Weather, told news agency PTI on Saturday.
“Due to a western disturbance approaching the western Himalayas, cyclone activity has developed over central Pakistan bordering Punjab and Haryana. As a result, parts of Punjab, Haryana and Delhi are likely to witness rainfall over the next two days. This is expected to be the first pre-monsoon rainfall of the season, arriving about 10 days earlier than usual,” he added.
Expectations indicate that the minimum temperature may remain between 14 and 16 degrees Celsius by Monday.
The maximum temperature is expected to remain at 31 and 33 degrees Celsius by Monday, the India Meteorological Department said.
With input from agencies
