Heavy rainfall on Thursday morning brought much-needed relief from the intense heatwave that has been gripping the national capital. Residents woke up to significant downpours across several parts of Delhi, with Noida and Ghaziabad in the National Capital Region (NCR) also experiencing heavy showers.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) attributed the changing weather to a western disturbance, which has led to fluctuating weather conditions over the past few days. The IMD has forecast mainly cloudy skies with light to moderate rain, thunderstorms, and gusty winds reaching speeds of up to 35 km/h over the next three days. Moderate to heavy rain is expected in the city on June 30, according to ANI.
Experts have identified the current rain as pre-monsoon showers, indicating that the monsoon is likely to arrive in Delhi within the next few days. Although the IMD has not specified an exact date, the monsoon typically reaches Delhi between June 27 and 29.
Delhi has faced severe heat this month, recording nine heatwave days so far, compared to none in 2023 and 2022, and only one in June 2021, as per IMD data. On Wednesday evening, overcast skies and light rain provided some relief, with Palam, Aya Nagar, and Ridge recording 2.3 mm, 1.3 mm, and 1.3 mm of rainfall, respectively, PTI reported.
The Safdarjung Observatory, the city’s primary weather station, noted a temperature of 39 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, which is two degrees above normal. The Met department’s seven-day forecast predicts a drop in the maximum temperature to 34 degrees Celsius in the coming days, thanks to the western disturbance.
Furthermore, the IMD anticipates the monsoon to advance into more parts of north and northwest India, including additional regions of Rajasthan, remaining areas of Chhattisgarh, most parts of eastern Uttar Pradesh, and some parts of western Uttar Pradesh over the next three to four days.
