NEW DELHI: An unseasonal spell of rain and cloud covered the city on Tuesday, bringing the city under an orange alert. Hail and thunderstorms hit parts of the capital on Tuesday, days after a heatwave baked its residents.
The alert was announced for New Delhi, central Delhi, west Delhi, northwest Delhi, outer north Delhi, northeast Delhi, Shahdara and east Delhi, along with parts of south and southwest Delhi, for the evening hours as rain, hail and thunderstorms were also predicted during the day.
Additionally, the changing weather pattern led to a noticeable dip in temperatures across several areas, extending a brief break from typical early-May heat conditions. Safdarjung, the city’s base station, recorded a minimum temperature of 19.6 degrees Celsius, showing a departure of -5.1 degrees and a 24-hour rise of 0.8 degrees.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has also forecast the possibility of hailstorms in isolated parts of the city on Wednesday. Meanwhile, a maximum temperature of 33.6 degrees Celsius was noted.According to Mahesh Palawat of Skymet Weather,
“The maximum temperature will be significantly below normal as there has been rain and hailstorms across North India. Similar conditions are likely to persist for the next one to two days, with temperatures remaining below normal.”
The air quality index (AQI) stood at 86 in the morning hours, indicating a significant improvement in air quality levels in the capital.