NEW DELHI: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast an active monsoon spell over Delhi and its adjoining areas for the next five days, with cloudy skies and frequent spells of light to moderate rain. The city may also witness heavy rainfall at isolated locations, particularly during the evenings, nights and early mornings.
The national capital remained largely dry on Sunday, with no rainfall recorded at Safdarjung, Palam, Ridge, Ayanagar or most other observatories. Ghaziabad recorded a marginal 0.5 mm of rain while Noida reported 2 mm.
The maximum temperature at Safdarjung, the city’s base station, stood at 34.4 degrees Celsius, a rise of 4.2 degrees from the previous day and nearly normal for the season. The minimum settled at 24.5 degrees Celsius, two degrees below normal.
Across Delhi-NCR, maximum temperatures ranged between 31.6 degrees in Ghaziabad and 34.4 degrees at Safdarjung, while minimums varied from 23.4 degrees at Lodhi Road to 27.1 degrees in Najafgarh.
The IMD attributed the change in weather patterns to the monsoon trough extending from northwest to central India and embedded cyclonic circulations over Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. A western disturbance over north Pakistan and adjoining Punjab is also influencing conditions.
On Monday, Delhi is likely to receive light to moderate rain at many places, with heavy rainfall possible in the morning or forenoon. The wet spell is expected to continue until September 6, though rainfall may gradually reduce to light intensity after September 2.
District-wise forecasts suggest uniform conditions across Delhi, with all districts—from North and South Delhi to Shahdara and East Delhi—likely to see cloudy skies and intermittent rains. NCR towns including Faridabad, Gurgaon, Noida and Ghaziabad have also been placed under a “likely rain” watch, with heavy to very heavy rain possible in Faridabad and Gurgaon over the next two days.
Meanwhile, the Yamuna river once again rose close to the danger mark, reaching 205.12 metres at the Old Railway Bridge by 7 pm on Sunday. The warning mark for the national capital is 204.50 metres, while the danger mark is 205.33 metres, and evacuation of people starts at 206 metres.