Several parts of Delhi and its adjoining National Capital Region (NCR) witnessed heavy showers on Wednesday evening, bringing much-needed relief from the humid weather. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert for most parts of the capital and its surrounding areas until 9 pm, indicating the severity of the rainfall expected.
The IMD’s latest update mentioned, “Clouds have converged over Delhi from all four sectors. Widespread Light/Moderate Rainfall with isolated Intense to very intense Spell (3-5 cm/hr) likely over Delhi during the next 2 hours.”
Before this heavy rainfall, the IMD had predicted moderate rainfall and thunderstorms in several parts of Delhi, including North Delhi, Central Delhi, New Delhi, South Delhi, South-East Delhi, East Delhi, and other parts of the NCR.
The weather agency has warned that the showers are likely to cause slippery roads, low visibility, traffic disruptions, and localized waterlogging in low-lying areas.
Delhi experienced an average maximum temperature of 35.8°C in July, slightly above the long-period average (LPA). However, the high humidity levels – over 50% on most days in July – led to a Heat Index (HI) or ‘real feel’ of 45.8°C, making it feel significantly warmer than the recorded maximum temperature.
On Tuesday, Delhi recorded its highest maximum temperature for the month this year, with the mercury settling at 39.3 degrees Celsius, five notches above the season’s normal. On Wednesday morning, the city recorded a minimum temperature of 30.4 degrees Celsius, 3.3 notches above the season’s normal. The humidity level stood at 63% at 5.30 pm.
According to the IMD, intermittent showers are likely in the national capital until August 5. Northwest India is also expected to see fairly widespread light to moderate rainfall with thunderstorms and lightning over places like Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Scattered to widespread rain is likely over Jammu-Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh over the next 4-5 days.