New Delhi, May 23: Light rain and cloudy skies brought temporary relief to Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) on Saturday after days of relentless heat, even as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) warned that severe weather conditions are likely to persist across several parts of the country.
The sudden spell of rain, accompanied by dust storms and gusty winds in parts of the capital, provided a welcome break from the scorching temperatures that had gripped Delhi over the past week.
Delhi is currently witnessing unstable pre-monsoon weather, marked by strong winds, dust storms and scattered showers. The weather shift follows an extended period of intense heat that had pushed temperatures to extreme levels across the city.
Residents welcomed the rainfall, saying it brought much-needed comfort after days of oppressive conditions. Many transport workers said the intense heat had disrupted their routine work and affected vehicle performance, making Saturday’s cooler weather a relief.
Despite the rainfall, the IMD has issued an ‘Orange Alert’ for Delhi and surrounding NCR areas, cautioning that severe heat conditions are likely to continue until May 27. Maximum temperatures in several parts of the city may touch 46 degrees Celsius over the coming days.
The weather department has also forecast storm-related activity across 13 states, while heavy rainfall is expected in northeastern and southern regions due to the advancing southwest monsoon.
According to the IMD, strong winds with speeds reaching 65 kmph may prevail in many areas during this period. Heavy rainfall alerts have been issued for northeastern states along with Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
The department said the southwest monsoon is expected to advance further over the next three to four days into the southeast Arabian Sea, southwest and southeast Bay of Bengal, remaining parts of the Andaman Sea and additional regions of the east-central Bay of Bengal. This progression is likely to trigger widespread rainfall activity across southern and northeastern India.
Even as rainfall activity increases, Delhi is expected to continue experiencing intense heat. Temperatures in parts of the city may remain between 45 and 47 degrees Celsius, while wind speeds could reach 35 kmph.
Weather data shows a sharp rise in temperatures over recent days. At Delhi’s Safdarjung observatory, the maximum temperature climbed from 37.5 degrees Celsius on May 11 to 45.1 degrees Celsius by May 19. On Wednesday, the station recorded 44.5 degrees Celsius, which was 4.1 degrees above the seasonal average.
The IMD noted that despite temperatures remaining in the 43–44 degrees Celsius range, Delhi has not yet officially entered the “heatwave” category under its technical criteria.
On Friday, Safdarjung recorded a maximum temperature of 43.3 degrees Celsius, 3.1 degrees above normal, while the minimum temperature stood at 29.3 degrees Celsius, 2.6 degrees above average.
Other weather stations across the capital also reported high temperatures, with Lodhi Road recording 43.4 degrees Celsius, Aya Nagar 43.5 degrees, Palam 43.2 degrees, and the Ridge area touching 44.4 degrees Celsius, the highest among the monitored locations.
