NEW DELHI: Delhi experienced breezy weather on Thursday due to brief spells of showers and drizzle, bringing the minimum temperature down to 17.6 degrees Celsius, the India Meteorological Department said. Light to moderate rain, accompanied by thunderstorms, is likely on Friday, along with strong surface winds.
The weather department stated that Safdarjung and Lodhi Road recorded 8.2 mm of rainfall each, while the Ridge station received 8.6 mm and Palam recorded 6.2 mm. Ayanagar recorded 7.2 mm of rainfall and Pitampura recorded 5.5 mm. Mayur Vihar recorded 3 mm of rainfall, while Janakpuri received 12.5 mm between 8.30 am on Wednesday and 8.30 am on Thursday.
According to meteorological experts, the current rainfall pattern is due to a western disturbance that has induced a cyclonic circulation over south Haryana. “The system is expected to intensify over central Pakistan and adjoining parts of Punjab and Haryana from Thursday, leading to further rainfall over the next two days,” weather expert Mahesh Palawat said. He further noted that pre-monsoon showers, thunderstorms and isolated hailstorms are likely during this period. Even though temperatures are expected to hover in the mid-to-high 20s, they are likely to rise once the disturbance subsides. “Current models suggest that weather conditions on March 20 are likely to be more intense,” he added.
The IMD said the minimum temperature of 17.6 degrees Celsius was 1.1 notches above the seasonal average, while the maximum temperature is expected to settle around 29 degrees Celsius. The national capital is currently under a ‘yellow alert’ for very light to light rainfall, thunderstorms accompanied by lightning, and gusty winds with speeds of 30 to 40 kmph, the IMD said.
Meanwhile, the Air Quality Index (AQI) stood in the ‘moderate’ category at 153 at 9 am, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board.
Rain also lashed several parts of Punjab and Haryana on Thursday, leading to a sharp dip in maximum temperatures. According to the Met department, Chandigarh, Ambala, Hisar, Rohtak, Bhiwani, Gurugram, Amritsar, Ludhiana, Patiala, Rupnagar, Mohali and Sangrur were among the places that received rainfall.
It rained throughout the day in Chandigarh, the common capital of the two states, which recorded a maximum temperature of 20.8 degrees Celsius, eight notches below normal. In Haryana, Ambala recorded a maximum of 25.8 degrees Celsius, four notches below normal, while Rohtak recorded 20.7 degrees, ten notches below normal. Hisar recorded a maximum of 23.2 degrees Celsius, eight notches below normal.