Delhi Weather Today: Rains lash national capital on Tuesday morning, IMD issues alert

Delhi Weather Today: Delhi residents woke up to a cooler morning on Tuesday as rain lashed several areas of the national capital, including the Rafi Marg, India Gate, Kartavya Path, and Lajpat Nagar areas. The city is bracing for more showers throughout the day as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an alert for thunderstorms and light rain today.

The IMD has issued an orange alert for Tuesday, April 7, forecasting thunderstorms accompanied by light rain and gusty winds. The rains are expected to continue till Wednesday.

For Wednesday, April 8, the weather agency has issued a yellow alert for thunderstorms accompanied by light rain and gusty winds.

The weather agency has also predicted isolated hailstorm activity over Delhi on Tuesday and Wednesday.

A fresh western disturbance is likely to affect northwest India starting Wednesday.

The change in weather conditions is attributed to shifting wind patterns and the influence of a western disturbance, PTI reported. This disturbance is likely to bring intermittent cloud cover and isolated rainfall over the national capital region.

Mercury to dip

This fresh spell of rain is expected to bring down the temperature in the capital city to a maximum of around 31 degrees Celsius and the minimum around 20 degrees Celsius.

Mahesh Palawat, vice president at Skymet, said, "This is due to the presence of a cloud cover, as a result of which lesser heat penetrates during the day and lesser heat escapes from the earth's surface at night."

Temperatures are expected to rise again from April 10.

Minimum temperatures are expected to stay below normal across Delhi. Safdarjung recorded 20.6 degrees Celsius on Tuesday morning.

According to IMD, the maximum and minimum temperatures over Delhi on Tuesday are likely to be in the ranges of 30°C to 32°C and 19°C to 21°C, respectively. The minimum temperature will be near normal (-1.5°C to 1.5°C), and the maximum temperature will be appreciably below normal (-3.1°C to -5.0°C) over Delhi.

Delhi is expected to receive gusty winds, with wind speed increasing throughout the day to reach up to 20 kmph during the evening and night.

The weather agency has issued a cautionary note, saying that the thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds expected over the city can temporarily reach the speed of 60 kmph during thunderstorms with dust rising surface winds, and has urged residents to take precautionary measures.

“Loose objects may fly — keep watch, stay indoors, close windows & doors and avoid travel,” the IMD said, while also asking residents to avoid shelter under trees, concrete walls, electronic appliances, and water bodies.

Delhi AQI

Delhi's air quality remained in the "moderate" category, with an AQI of 117 on Tuesday, according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data.

According to forecasts, the air quality is expected to stay in the "moderate" category until April 9.

According to the CPCB, an AQI between 0 and 50 is considered 'good', 51 to 100 'satisfactory', 101 to 200 'moderate', 201 to 300 'poor', 301 to 400 'very poor', and 401 to 500 'severe'.

(With PTI inputs)