Delhi-NCR residents on Friday woke up to light rain, along with mild thunderstorms and gusty winds, as a sudden weather change brought back a winter-like chill to the national capital. This comes after a brief period of rising temperatures ahead of the summer season. The recent downpour has also made this March the wettest in three years. (Arvind Yadav/HT)
The recent downpour has also made this March the wettest in three years, recording an average rainfall of 9.4 mm. The last higher rainfall for March was recorded in 2023 at 50.4 mm, news agency PTI reported.
ALSO READ | Rain, wind cool Delhi, records lowest maximum temperature in over a month
Rain in Delhi-NCR The forecast predicts light to moderate rainfall on Friday. Thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds of 30 to 40 kmph are also expected.
The minimum temperature dropped to 18 degrees Celsius. A day earlier, it had fallen below 30°C for the first time in nearly a month, settling at 26.8°C on Thursday, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
The IMD has issued a yellow alert for Friday, warning of more rain and a further drop in temperature to around 23 to 25°C.
“Generally cloudy skies, with a spell of very light to light rain accompanied by thunderstorm/lightning and strong surface winds of 30-40 kmph, gusting to 50 kmph, are likely in the morning,” the IMD said.
It added, “One or two spells of light to moderate rain accompanied by thunderstorm/lightning and strong surface winds of 30-40 kmph, gusting to 50 kmph, are likely from forenoon to evening.”
According to the IMD’s seven-day outlook, the maximum temperature is likely to rise gradually after Friday, reaching 32-34°C by March 25.
Why is it raining in Delhi? The sudden shift in weather is due to an active western disturbance over northwest India, which intensified on Wednesday. Experts said the system bringing rain across North India is unusual.
Dr Pradeep, who describes himself as a climate scientist, wrote on X: “An unusual Western Disturbance has reached North India. Its structure is quite different. A trough is situated in a straight line spanning thousands of kilometres, which is generally very rare. It has the capacity to create very strong thunderstorms and thunderclouds, so be cautious and follow IMD.”