new delhi, Apr 29
After sweltering conditions over the past few days, Delhi woke up to strong winds, rain and thunderstorms early Wednesday morning, bringing much-needed relief from the scorching summer heat. The sudden change has eased intense heatwave conditions across the national capital.
Several parts of the National Capital Region (NCR), including Noida and Ghaziabad, also witnessed similar weather, with gusty winds and rain showers leading to a noticeable dip in temperatures.
IMD issues yellow alert, forecasts more rain and strong winds
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert for Delhi, warning of one or two spells of very light to light rain accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning and strong surface winds. Wind speeds are expected to reach 30-40 kmph, gusting up to 50 kmph, particularly during the afternoon to evening hours.
According to the weather department, the maximum temperature in the national capital is likely to fall by 3-4 degrees Celsius and remain below the 40 degrees Celsius mark.
Rain activity expected across multiple regions
Rainfall activity is not limited to Delhi-NCR and is expected across several parts of the country. Light to moderate rainfall or snowfall, accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds (40-50 kmph), is likely over Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.
Fairly widespread to widespread light to moderate rainfall, along with thunderstorms and gusty winds (30-50 kmph), is forecast over Northeast India over the next five days.
Moderate rainfall is also likely over Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh during the coming days. In southern India, states including Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Karaikal, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Yanam, Telangana and Kerala are also expected to witness rainfall along with strong winds.
Temperature likely to dip across several regions
Owing to the expected rainfall, a gradual fall in maximum temperatures is likely across multiple regions.
Northwest and eastern parts of India are expected to see a steady decline in daytime temperatures. A dip is also likely over western India, while central India is not expected to witness any significant change in maximum temperatures.
Heatwave conditions to persist in parts of India
Despite the rainfall activity, heatwave conditions are likely to persist in several regions, including Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha, Odisha and Telangana.
Hot and humid weather conditions are very likely to prevail in isolated pockets over Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Karaikal, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Mahe, and Saurashtra and Kutch. Additionally, warm night conditions are very likely in isolated pockets across Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Rajasthan.
