Rain brings relief to scorching Delhi, NCR, relief from heatwave for next few days
New Delhi, May 28
Heavy rain and thunderstorms triggered by a western disturbance provided much-needed relief to people in Delhi and the national capital region, which was in the grip of a scorching heatwave for the past many days.
The India Meteorological Department earlier today issued an 'orange' alert for Delhi, predicting "moderate to severe thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and isolated hailstorms" likely at many places across the city. It later upgraded the warning to 'Red'.
"Intense thunderstorms activity over several parts of South Haryana, adjoining Delhi and the entire NCR likely to get affected due to strong winds reaching upto 80 kmph accompanied by hail and duststorm," the Met Department said.
Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) this evening announced that due to the inclement weather conditions and expected thunderstorms, some flights could be impacted at Delhi Airport.
"Due to inclement weather conditions and expected thunderstorms in Delhi, some flights might be impacted at Delhi Airport... Passengers are requested to contact the airline concerned for updated flight information. Passengers can consider alternative modes of transport, including the Delhi Metro, to get to the Airport to avoid potential delays," DIAL posted on its social media account X.
The rain brought with it a plunge in mercury, offering residents a respite from blistering summer conditions.
Daytime temperatures hovered between 44 degrees C and 46 degrees C in the national capital.
Maximum temperatures are projected to experience a massive 8 degrees C to 10 degrees C by May 29.
The IMD has advised residents to remain cautious, avoid standing under fragile structures or trees during peak squall windows, and prepare for consecutive spells of rain moving into Friday morning.
"The prevailing heat wave to severe heat wave conditions is likely to abate from many parts of Northwest India from today, however, it is likely to continue over some parts of Rajasthan, Vidarbha, East Madhya Pradesh and reduce significantly from tomorrow," the IMD stated.
Meanwhile, Mahesh Palawat, Vice President of Meteorology at Skymet Weather, said that the current spell of pre-monsoon rain is tracking significantly stronger than what was witnessed in April or early May. He added that the system, which was initially built along the Rajasthan-Haryana border, is expected to continue impacting the capital through May 30 before shifting toward Gujarat.
— ANI
Reader Comments
I appreciate the weather change but the sudden hailstorm warning is scary. My father had to drive home from work and the visibility was terrible. The government should focus on better disaster preparedness, especially for daily commuters. Not everyone can work from home.
Well, the rain is temporary relief but the real problem is climate change. Every year the heatwaves are getting worse. In April we had 44°C and now even 46°C is common. We need long-term solutions like tree planting and sustainable urban planning. These orange-red alerts are becoming too frequent.
As someone who moved to Delhi from the UK two years ago, I still can't get used to these extreme temperature swings. The rain is lovely but the hail and dust storms are scary. At least the IMD is doing a good job alerting everyone in advance. Stay safe everyone! 🌧️
This is good but the rain is hitting us at odd hours. We need the water for fields and crops, not just for city comfort. Farmers are still struggling after the poor monsoon last year. Hope this is not just a brief relief but helps recharge the groundwater too. ☔
The orange-to-red alert upgrade shows how quickly weather can change. My flight to Mumbai was delayed by 2 hours due to thunderstorms. DIAL did the right thing asking people to check with airlines and use the metro. But the authorities could have issued the warning earlier to avoid chaos at the airport.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.