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Delhi-NCR witnessed strong dust storms followed by rain on Wednesday, bringing much-needed relief from the intense heatwave that had pushed temperatures up to 44.5°C earlier this week.
Delhi Rain Alert
Dark clouds covered the sky early in the morning, and soon storms and rain began. This change in weather was caused by a western disturbance, which increased atmospheric activity and helped lower the temperature in a short time. Earlier, Delhi had been under a Yellow alert due to the ongoing heatwave. The maximum temperature, which was expected to reach around 41°C, is now likely to stay closer to 38°C after the rainfall.
Orange Alert in Other States
According to India Meteorological Department (IMD) scientist Akhil Srivastava, thunderstorm activity is expected in Punjab and Haryana in the coming days. This may reduce temperatures by 2-4°C. He also mentioned that an Orange alert for thunderstorms has been issued for Bihar, Gangetic West Bengal, Odisha, and Jharkhand. Moreover, the northeastern parts of India may receive heavy to very heavy rainfall over the next week.
Reason behind the Weather Change
Srivastava further explained that northern India had been facing a heatwave for about 15 days. However, due to the western disturbance located near 66° East longitude, thunderstorms are likely in the Western Himalayan region and nearby plains. Alerts have been issued for Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand for thunderstorms and possible hailstorms. Punjab and Haryana may also experience strong winds of up to 60 km/h, along with a drop in temperatures over the next three days.
The Regional Weather Forecast Centre (RWFC) in New Delhi predicted light to moderate rain with thunderstorms, lightning, and winds of 30-40 km/h across Delhi-NCR during the morning. Similar weather conditions are also expected in several parts of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan, with some areas likely to receive light rainfall as well.
