After nearly a week of punishing heat that saw the mercury flirt with the 44°C mark, residents of the national capital finally breathed a sigh of relief . Rain lashed several parts of the national capital, bringing much-needed relief from a recent spell of rising temperatures.
Heavy rains and thunderstorms hit Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad on Thursday, bringing much-needed respite from the searing heat in the city. Earlier, an 'orange' alert, which means "be prepared", was issued with a prediction of wind speeds likely to reach up to 50 kmph. The weather department has forecast thunderstorm activity accompanied by rain till April 30. The weather experts have attributed the sudden change in conditions to a cyclonic circulation over adjoining areas of Delhi.
After nearly a week of punishing heat that saw the mercury flirt with the 44°C mark, residents of the national capital finally breathed a sigh of relief . Rain lashed several parts of the national capital, bringing much-needed relief from a recent spell of rising temperatures.
Rainfall began with low-hanging clouds covering the skies across Delhi. The showers helped bring down temperatures and provided relief from the persistent humidity. A sudden shift in weather patterns brought dark clouds, strong winds, and refreshing rain showers to various parts of the city, including the iconic Kushak Road and the Lutyens' Delhi belt.
The national capital has been under a "Yellow Alert" for heatwaves, with temperatures peaking between 42°C and 45°C over the last few days. However, as predicted by the IMD, a western disturbance triggered atmospheric activity that drastically pulled down the temperature within an hour.
The maximum temperature, which was expected to hit 41°C today, is now likely to settle closer to 38°C following the showers. According to the Regional Weather Forecast Centre (RWFC) in New Delhi, light to moderate rain accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds of around 30-40 kmph was very likely across Delhi and surrounding areas during the morning hours.
Strong winds and intermittent rain showers brought a noticeable change in Delhi's weather, offering relief from recent heatwave-like conditions. In Kushak Road showed cloudy skies and wet stretches following the showers.
On Tuesday, India Meteorological Department (IMD) scientist Akhil Srivastava explained regarding a weather alert for the northern, eastern and western regions of India. Srivastava said thunderstorm activity is expected in Punjab and Haryana over the coming days, which may lead to a drop in temperatures by 2-4 degrees Celsius.
He added that an orange alert for thunderstorms has been issued for Bihar, Gangetic West Bengal, Odisha and Jharkhand, while heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely in northeastern India over the next week.
