NEW DELHI: Rain and gusty winds swept across the national capital early Thursday, bringing the maximum temperature at Safdarjung down to 28.3 degrees Celsius, the lowest recorded so far this month. The heavy showers disrupted morning commutes, with waterlogging and massive traffic jams reported across several stretches of the city. Intermittent rain coincided with peak school and office hours, delaying school buses and leaving commuters stranded in long queues.
From India Gate and ITO to Mandi House and south Delhi, commuters reported long queues of cars, buses and three-wheelers, with little to no movement on several stretches. Complaints poured in on social media, with motorists seeking traffic police intervention as rainfall worsened congestion on already busy roads.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the maximum temperature was 4.9 degrees Celsius below normal, while the minimum settled at 23.3 degrees Celsius, 3.7 degrees above normal. Dark clouds hovered over the city through much of the day, with spells of rain bringing a noticeable dip in temperatures. The weather office issued orange and red alerts for rain, thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds until 3 pm, warning of moderate to intense rainfall in parts of the capital.
The change in weather was attributed to a western disturbance and an active cyclonic circulation affecting the region. The western disturbance, earlier positioned over Jammu and Kashmir and adjoining north Pakistan, had moved over north Punjab and neighbouring areas. The associated system, along with a trough in the middle and upper tropospheric westerlies, was influencing weather conditions.
The unsettled weather is likely to continue on Friday, with cloudy skies and very light rain forecast at many places, accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning from early morning until noon. Conditions are expected to turn drier over the weekend.
Meanwhile, the IMD confirmed the complete withdrawal of the southwest monsoon from the country.
