A recent spell of rain and thunderstorms hit various parts of Delhi-NCR on Tuesday afternoon, offering a welcome break from the persistent heat and humidity. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a ‘Yellow Alert’ for the national Capital, predicting light to moderate rainfall with thunderstorms in isolated areas throughout the day. The IMD also forecasts that this rainy spell is expected to persist over the next few days.
Delhi started the day warm and humid, with the minimum temperature recorded at 30 degrees Celsius, surpassing the seasonal average by 2.1 degrees. This marked the highest minimum temperature for July since July 2, 2024, when it had reached 30.7 degrees Celsius. Despite the rainfall, humidity levels remained high, with a relative humidity of 79 per cent reported by the IMD at 8.30 a.m. The “feels-like” temperature soared to 44.7 degrees Celsius, creating uncomfortable conditions during the morning hours.
The showers brought a more typical monsoon atmosphere, characterized by light to moderate rainfall, overcast skies, and occasional thunder and lightning. While heavy rainfall is not expected, intermittent showers and gentle breezes are anticipated to offer ongoing relief from the oppressive weather conditions. The IMD has also forecasted rainfall in neighboring regions such as Kaithal, Rohtak, Sonipat in Haryana, and Saharanpur, Muzaffarnagar, Meerut, Pilkhua, Hapur, and Bulandshahr in western Uttar Pradesh in the coming hours.
Earlier this week, several areas in Delhi-NCR experienced heavy rainfall and thunderstorms, with some locations receiving between 10 mm and 30 mm of rain. This led to a drop in temperatures to around 30 degrees Celsius in many places. The IMD predicts fairly widespread rainfall across Delhi, Haryana, and Chandigarh from July 7 to July 9, as favorable monsoon conditions persist over North India. Moisture-laden winds from the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal are set to facilitate cloud formation and rainfall across the northern plains.
Despite remaining in the ‘moderate’ category, Delhi’s air quality on Tuesday morning was stable. The city’s Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 110 at 9 a.m., according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Even with below-normal rainfall forecasts for July across the country, intermittent monsoon showers continue to provide relief to Delhi residents.
