Delhi braces for another wet day, red alert on for rain and thunderstorms

Persistent rains throughout Thursday night led to a sudden drop in Delhi's temperature, setting the stage for the winter chill to take over.

After overnight rain brought a sharp drop in temperatures, Delhi is bracing for another wet day on Friday, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issuing a red alert for rain, thunderstorms and strong winds across the national capital for the next three hours.

A yellow alert has been issued by the IMD for Delhi on Friday. (Keshav Singh/ HT Photo)

According to the weather department's latest nowcast bulletin, a red alert was issued for all districts in Delhi at 8.15 am and remained valid until 11.15 am. The national capital is expected to receive light to moderate rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning at most places, with heavy rain likely at isolated locations.

The weather department also warned of strong surface winds at 25-35 kmph, with gusts up to 45 kmph.

Yellow alert issued for Delhi today

The IMD has also issued a yellow alert for Delhi for the rest of the day, forecasting generally cloudy skies with one or two spells of very light to light rainfall at many places and moderate rainfall at isolated locations.

Thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and light to moderate rainfall are expected during the morning and forenoon hours, according to the weather department.

The red alert is a short-duration warning, while the yellow alert is expected to cover the broader forecast for the entire day. By November 1 and November 2, standard green codes have been issued as fair weather, clear skies, and stable conditions take over all districts.

Persistent rains throughout Thursday night led to a sudden drop in Delhi's temperature, setting the stage for the winter chill to take over. According to the Central Pollution Control Board, this also led to a drop in Delhi's AQI levels, which were above 200 (Poor category) on Wednesday and Thursday, but fell to 133 (Moderate) as of 4 am on Friday.

Rain lashes surrounding regions

Barring Delhi, surrounding states like Uttarakhand also witnessed continuous rainfall on Thursday as snowfall lashed high-altitude places like Kedarnath and Gangotri.

An ‘orange’ alert has been issued for Nainital, Champawat, Pithoragarh, Bageshwar and Chamoli districts for October 30, forecasting thunderstorms, hail and gusty winds accompanied by heavy rainfall.

An advisory issued by the Rudraprayag administration for travellers heading to the region urges those heading to the Kedarnath Dham to consume warm beverages, avoid prolonged exposure to cold, take special care of children and the elderly and adhere to the guidelines issued by the district administration and police based on weather conditions.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has directed state and district government officials to exercise utmost vigilance and ensure disaster management preparations are in full swing to address any impending emergency, as per ANI.