It was a day filled with multiple weather phenomena in Delhi on Friday, as a dust storm began in the morning – sending pollution levels skyrocketing – before giving way to clear skies during the afternoon and then giving way to a spell of rainfall from the evening. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) also issued an orange alert in the evening, warning of rain and lightning.
Delhi recorded a ‘poor’ air quality index (AQI) of 266, maximum temperature of 33.7 degrees Celsius (°C) and 0.4 mm of rainfall per day.
According to IMD data, strong surface winds with speeds of over 20 km per hour stirred up dust across parts of the city in the morning hours, causing the air quality index to rise from an “average” reading of 194 recorded a day earlier, according to the daily bulletin issued by the Central Pollution Control Board. Commuters reported reduced visibility in several areas during the early hours of the night.
The minimum temperature on Friday was 22.4 degrees Celsius, which is 3.4 degrees Celsius above normal, while the maximum temperature was 33.7 degrees Celsius, slightly below normal, according to the General Directorate of Meteorology. As the wind speed continued, intermittent periods of dust storms were recorded in isolated pockets in the afternoon.
At around 3-4pm, wind speeds decreased and cloud cover thickened, leading to a relatively cooler phase. “Generally cloudy skies with very light rain and drizzle accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning and strong surface winds during the evening and into the night,” an IMD official said.
Light rain began around 5 pm in isolated pockets and gradually spread across Delhi and National Capital Region. By eight o’clock in the evening, rain fell to moderate showers in several areas, accompanied by active winds. The IMD issued an orange alert for the city, warning of thunderstorms, lightning and gusts of 40-50 kilometers per hour or higher speeds.
Beyond rapidly changing circumstances
Officials said the rapidly changing conditions were driven by an active western disturbance and associated cyclonic circulation affecting northwest India. The IMD expects the weather to continue to fluctuate in the coming days.
“On Saturday, the city is expected to witness partly cloudy skies turning to generally cloudy with one or two spells of light rain, thunderstorms and gusty winds. The maximum temperature is likely to fall to the range of 29-31 degrees Celsius, remaining below normal,” an IMD official said.
Conditions are expected to be similar on Sunday, with light rain and thunderstorms possible during the afternoon and evening, accompanied by strong winds, adding that the maximum temperature is expected to remain significantly below average. The situation is likely to gradually stabilize starting Monday, although partly cloudy skies will remain.
The IMD attributed this extended period of unstable weather to two successive western disturbances, with peak activity expected around April 3-4 and again around April 7.
“When such conditions arise during the pre-monsoon season, around March-April, they create thunderclouds that are capable of bringing hailstorms and thunderstorms, as we saw in Rajasthan and Haryana, which led to fluctuations in Delhi,” said Mahesh Palawat, Head of Weather at Skymet.
He said the weather system will approach Delhi and western Uttar Pradesh on Saturday. “It will be better on April 5 with similar fluctuations and rains likely again on April 6 and 7 due to another western disturbance,” Palawat said.
