Delhi braces for rain, thunderstorm today, more showers expected over weekend

The weather office has forecast spells of very light rain or drizzle accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds of 20–30 km/hr on Friday.

Delhi and its surrounding areas are likely to experience patchy light rain and gusty winds until Friday night, with a fresh western disturbance expected to bring widespread showers over the weekend, the India Meteorological Department said on Thursday.

The IMD has forecast the maximum temperature to dip Friday, hovering between 29–31°C. (Raj K Raj /HT PHOTO)

The city recorded a warm afternoon, with the maximum temperature at Safdarjung reaching 34.8 degrees Celsius (°C) – three notches above normal – up from 33.5°C a day earlier. The minimum settled at 19.2°C, two notches above normal, and more than a 3°C increase from the 16.4°C recorded on Wednesday.

No major spells of rain were recorded in the city until Thursday night.

A yellow alert for light showers and thunderstorms has been issued for Sunday – with fresh western disturbance to influence the region.

“Another Western Disturbance is likely to affect northwest India from the night of March 28,” the IMD said, stating its impact over Delhi will be seen from March 29 onwards.

The IMD has forecast the maximum temperature to dip Friday, hovering between 29–31°C. The minimum is expected to remain between 19–21°C, with temperatures staying above normal for the next 24 hours before dipping from Saturday.

“We expect light patchy rain on Friday, with the next western disturbance to be more active. It should bring widespread light rain to Delhi on Sunday and Monday,” said Mahesh Palawat, vice-president at private forecasting agency Skymet.

The weather office has forecast spells of very light rain or drizzle accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds of 20–30 km/hr (gusting up to 40 km/hr) on Friday. Similar conditions, with slightly stronger winds of up to 30–40 km/hr, are expected on March 29, followed by a possibility of light rain on March 30.

Meanwhile, the air quality in the region remained in the “moderate” category. The 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) stood at 186 at 4pm on Thursday, marginally up from 185 a day earlier. Forecasts indicate AQI is likely to stay within the moderate band over the next seven days.