Heavy rain lashed parts of the Delhi capital region on Friday evening, with the India Meteorological Department issuing an orange alert for the national capital, and a yellow alert for Gurgaon, Faridabad, Hisar and other areas in the national capital region.
While the IMD initially issued a yellow alert, the real-time bulletin on the official website was later changed to an orange alert. Meanwhile, the Meteorological Department said moderate to heavy rainfall accompanied by light thunderstorms and lightning is likely to continue in Delhi and the entire National Capital Region.
According to the latest IMD bulletin, Delhi is expected to witness a brief period of atmospheric instability followed by a week of sustained high temperatures. On April 18, IMD expects partly cloudy skies.
Orange and yellow alerts in Delhi NCR
The IMD issued an orange alert for the entire national capital on Friday, warning of moderate to heavy rain accompanied by thunderstorms and gusty winds.
In the national capital districts, orange alert has been issued in Gautam Buddha Nagar, Hapur, Ghaziabad and Baghpat. In Uttar Pradesh, a yellow alert was sounded in Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Saharanpur, Bijnor, Hathras and other areas.
In Haryana, a yellow alert was sounded in Palwal, Gurgaon, Ruwari and Faridabad. Meanwhile, an orange alert has been issued for Sharkhi Dadri, Bhiwani and Sonipat.
Cloudy skies in Delhi tomorrow
For Saturday, the IMD has forecast cloudy skies in Delhi, and no warning has been issued yet. The maximum temperature is likely to remain between 40-42 degrees Celsius, and the minimum temperature will range between 20-22 degrees Celsius.
Temperatures dropped on Friday
After an unusual spell of rain on Friday evening, temperatures rose by 7-10 degrees at several places in Delhi NCR. According to IMD data, Jafarpur recorded a drop of 8.6 degrees Celsius, while Narayana saw the biggest drop of 10.1 degrees Celsius.
The rainfall also brought respite from the high temperatures in Pragati Maidan, Pitampura, Garuda Kalan and Najafgarh. While temperatures were high during the day, settling at 41 degrees Celsius, temperatures dropped significantly in the evening.
The weather will likely be dry later in the week
However, as the week progresses, the IMD’s long-range forecast suggests that a brief lull in rain will give way to dry and hot conditions. From April 18 to April 19, the city is expected to witness partly cloudy skies, which will turn to mainly clear skies from April 20 to April 23.
During this period, maximum temperatures are expected to remain high, ranging between 39°C and 42°C, while minimum temperatures will stabilize between 20°C and 24°C.
