Rain and dust storm hit Delhi-NCR; yellow alert issued; Delhi airport sees 16 flight diversions

Delhi rain:The fresh spell of rain brings respite for Delhi after an unusually warm start to the month of March.

Heavy rain and a dust storm lashed parts of Delhi-NCR on Wednesday evening after the national capital, along with Noida, witnessed cloudy skies for most of the day following a pleasant start to the morning.

Delhi weather: The IMD has also issued a yellow alert for Thursday and Friday. (HT Photo by Praveen Kumar)

The fresh spell of rain has brought much-needed relief to Delhi after an unusually warm beginning to March.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), a western disturbance is expected to influence conditions in the national capital from Wednesday to Friday, bringing light rainfall, cloudy skies, and gusty winds.

The weather department has also issued a yellow alert for Thursday and Friday, warning of wind speeds reaching up to 40–50 kmph along with intermittent spells of light rain.

Temperatures likely to dip after midweek

Delhi’s temperatures, which have been hovering above normal levels for most of March, are expected to ease over the next few days. On Tuesday, the city recorded a maximum of 31.6 degrees Celsius, close to the seasonal average.

Wednesday may still see temperatures between 32 degrees Celsius and 34 degrees Celsius

By Thursday, the maximum is expected to drop to 29 degrees Celsius–31 degrees Celsius

Friday could see a further dip to 27 degrees Celsius–29 degrees Celsius

“The maximum may hover between 29°C and 31°C on Thursday and decrease further, to between 27°C and 29°C on Friday,” said an IMD official, stating the maximum will remain between 30°C and 32°C, even after the impact of the western disturbance dissipates earlier HT reported.

What to expect over next 2 days

Here’s a breakdown of how the weather is likely to unfold:

March 19 (Thursday):

Generally cloudy conditions. Light rain or drizzle expected in multiple spells through the day, accompanied by thunderstorms. Wind speeds could rise to 30–40 kmph, gusting up to 50 kmph.

March 20 (Friday):

Continued cloudy skies with repeated spells of light rain. Thunderstorms and strong winds (30–40 kmph, gusting to 50 kmph) likely in both morning and later parts of the day.

Delhi airport sees 16 flight diversions

At least 16 flights were diverted at the Delhi airport on Wednesday evening due to bad weather conditions, news agency PTI reported quoting officials.