Thunderstorms, overcast skies and rain to continue in Delhi till month-end: IMD

Delhi's May ends wet and stormy, with record rainfall of 186.4mm. Thunderstorms and gusty winds expected; no heatwaves this month.

May is expected to end in Delhi on a wet and stormy note, with rain, thunderstorms and gusty winds expected to persist over the coming days, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Monday. It predicted probable thundery developments on Tuesday and Wednesday, with chances of light rain, thunderstorms and gusty winds up to 60 km/hr on Friday and Saturday, possibly adding more rain to a record-breaking month.

Lightning recorded over Delhi in the past week. (Sanchit Khanna/HT)

With 186.4mm of rainfall so far, this May has gone down as the wettest ever for Delhi. The previous record was held by May 2008, which recorded 165mm of rainfall.

“This wet spell is expected to continue in the coming days. There is ample moisture in the air, so thundery development is possible. A yellow alert has also been issued for May 30 at the moment for a thunderstorm, accompanied by rain and gusty winds of 60km/hr. On May 31, while no colour-coded alert has been issued, similar weather activity and winds of up to 50km/hr are expected,” an IMD official said, adding no heatwave days are likely this month.

This is in stark contrast to May weather. For instance, in 2024, Delhi reeled under six consecutive heatwave days between May 26 and 31, when the maximum was over 45°C. This time around, active weather systems, including a prevailing western disturbance and two cyclonic circulations, have kept mercury in check by bringing consistent rain.

Parts of the city recorded light rain on Monday morning too. IMD data showed “trace” rainfall at Safdarjung, Lodhi Road and Ayanagar weather stations until 8.30am. The maximum temperature on the day was 35.1 °C, up from 31.6°C recorded a day before but still five degrees below normal. The minimum temperature was 25.2 °C, about a degree below normal. Relative humidity was between 59% and 90% during the day.

IMD predicted a maximum of 36-38°C on Tuesday, with the possibility of thundery development amid partly cloudy skies, it said.

Meanwhile, Delhi’s air quality index (AQI) improved to 97 (”satisfactory”) at 7pm, from 105 (“moderate”) at 4pm on Sunday. The Air Quality Early Warning System (EWS) for Delhi predicted a “moderate” AQI till Thursday.