NEW DELHI: Heavy rain and thunderstorms lashed the national capital on Tuesday night, prompting the India Meteorological Department to issue an orange alert and advise residents to remain prepared for adverse weather conditions.
The national capital witnessed intermittent spells of rainfall through the day, accompanied by overcast skies that led to a sharp dip in temperatures, making it one of the coldest April days in the past three years.
According to met department data, between 8:30 am and 5:30 pm, Safdarjung and Lodhi Road recorded 3 mm rainfall each, while Palam and Ridge logged 2.1 mm each. Ayanagar reported 2 mm of rainfall during the same period.
The maximum temperature settled at 28.8 degrees Celsius, several notches below normal. This is comparable to April 1, 2023, when the maximum temperature had dropped to 28.4 degrees Celsius. Among other stations, Palam recorded a high of 27.6 degrees Celsius, while Lodhi Road, Ridge and Ayanagar also reported below-normal temperatures.
Minimum temperatures remained close to or slightly below normal across stations, with Safdarjung recording 20.1 degrees Celsius. The weather department has forecast thunderstorms accompanied by light to moderate rain on Wednesday, with cloudy skies likely to persist.
The minimum temperature is expected to hover around 17 degrees Celsius, while the maximum may settle near 28 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile, Delhi’s air quality remained in the ‘moderate’ category, with an AQI of 114, according to the Central Pollution Control Board.