Delhi continued to experience hot weather on Monday, with the maximum temperature settling at 42.1 degrees Celsius. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said similar conditions will prevail throughout the day, with a ‘yellow alert’ for the heatwave active in the first half.
Today’s temperatures are expected to range between 43 degrees Celsius and 45 degrees Celsius. However, there is a gradual shift on the horizon as the weather becomes more active.
The changing conditions will start bringing relief from Tuesday, the IMD noted. With cloudy skies and the return of rainfall, the maximum temperature is likely to drop to 40-42 degrees Celsius on Tuesday and further drop to 39-41 degrees Celsius on Wednesday.
“Clouds are expected to persist on Thursday as well,” an IMD official said, adding that temperatures may drop further, with the maximum reaching “nearly 37 degrees Celsius”.
The Meteorological Department also expected thundershowers to hit the capital on April 28 and 29.
Dust storms and winds are likely across Delhi and NCR
Amateur weather observer Navdeep Dahiya noted a similar pattern with the upcoming wave of summer storms on Tuesday. “Long-awaited relief from the heatwave” is expected as conditions change early this week, he said in a post on X.
He pointed out that “the heat wave will continue on Monday,” but “temperatures are expected to drop starting Tuesday evening in the areas affected by the rain.”
Detailing what lies ahead, Al-Dahiya said that residents should prepare for “strong dust storms (wind gusts ranging between 40 and 80 km/hour), followed by short periods of moderate to heavy rain and thunderstorms.”
These periods could last “15-45 minutes,” he said, with some areas seeing “continuous drizzle for 2-3 hours after the storm passes.”
Thunderstorms are also expected to bring lightning and thunder, although “the risk of blizzards remains on the lower side,” with isolated events continuing to occur.
More rain activity during the next 3 days
In its broader forecast, the IMD said there is likely to be “extensive rainfall activity” over northeastern India and neighboring eastern India, over the next three days.
It also expected “scattered rainfall activity” in northern India and southern parts of the peninsula during the next three days.
Dahiya also added that the Delhi region and the National Capital Region could see “30 to 50% coverage” of storm activity initially, with wider spread across several states between April 28 and 30, marking the peak phase of this weather system.
Heatwave conditions continue in parts of India
Even as relief approached in some areas, the International Meteorological Institute warned that heatwave conditions were “very likely to persist” in isolated pockets across northwest and central India, including Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Gujarat.
Similar conditions are expected in Himachal Pradesh on April 27, while Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh may continue to face heatwave conditions until April 28.
