Delhi sees scattered rainfall, IMD issues ‘yellow’ alert for two days

New Delhi: Delhi saw scattered showers on Monday, even as the heat index (HI) soared to 40°C in the evening

New Delhi: Delhi saw scattered showers on Monday, even as the heat index (HI) soared to 40°C in the evening.

A view of light rain over Delhi, bringing relief from the sultry conditions on Monday. (Arvind Yadav/HT PHOTO)

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a “yellow” alert for moderate rain on Tuesday and Wednesday, with rain expected on Thursday as well, and “possible” during the weekend.

According to IMD, till 5:30pm on Monday, Delhi Ridge recorded the most rainfall (19.4 mm), followed by Lodi Road (11.5 mm), and 8 mm at Safdarjung, Delhi’s base weather station. Pusa recorded 4 mm rainfall, followed by Ayannagar (3.8 mm), and Janakpuri (2 mm). Mayur Vihar, Narayana, and Najafgarh each recorded only 0.5 mm of rainfall.

The forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday predicts one or two spells of very light to light rain at most places during the early morning to noon, while moderate rain is expected at a few places. Another spell of the same is expected towards the evening or night.

The maximum temperature, recorded at 38.1°C on Monday, is expected to dip significantly to 32°C to 34°C on Tuesday and remain between 32°C to 35°C for the rest of the week.

The HI peaked at 40°C at 5:30 pm, against an actual temperature of 29°C, as the relative humidity was recorded at 100 per cent. The HI, also known as the “real-feel temperature”, is a measurement to indicate what the temperature feels like to the human body when relative humidity is combined with air temperature. The higher the humidity, the higher the heat index.