The national capital received a sudden spell of rain, bringing respite from the heat. The pre-monsoon rain was accompanied by strong winds, bringing down the temperature in Delhi.
The dust storm in the evening came after a scorching sunny afternoon when the temperature reached around 35 degrees Celsius.
“A dust storm followed by a thunderstorm with rain and gusty winds, with speeds ranging from 40 to 70 kmph, is expected to occur over and adjoining areas of entire Delhi and NCR within the next 2 hours,” the weather department said.
Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 22.6 degrees Celsius, normal for this time of the year and the maximum temperature is likely to settle around 38 degrees Celsius.
Yesterday, the regional meteorological department said light to moderate intensity rain would likely occur in Delhi-NCR.
Earlier, the India Meteorological Department on Sunday said that the temperature in Delhi is expected to remain around 38 degrees Celsius in the coming 2-3 days adding that there is a possibility of light rain on Monday.
Yesterday, the temperature remained above 30 degrees in Delhi, with a cool breeze in the evening but no rain.
The Met Office has said four to eight heatwave days are expected in different parts of the country in April against a normal of one to three days. Ten to 20 days of heatwave days are expected against a normal of four to eight in the entire April-June period. The intense heat could strain power grids and result in water shortages in parts of India.
Global weather agencies, including the IMD, are also expecting La Nina conditions to develop later in the year.
El Nino conditions — periodic warming of surface waters in the central Pacific Ocean — are associated with weaker monsoon winds and drier conditions in India. La Nina conditions — the antithesis of El Nino — lead to plentiful rainfall during the monsoon season.
In a mid-April update, the IMD said India would experience above-normal cumulative rainfall in the 2024 monsoon season with La Nina conditions, expected to set in by August-September, being the dominant factor.
– With inputs from PTI, ANI
