A powerful dust storm and heavy rain hit Delhi-NCR on Wednesday evening. Strong winds and dark clouds had already covered the sky over Delhi and Noida for most of the day before the storm arrived.
March had been unusually warm in Delhi until now. The fresh rainfall has given residents a welcome break from the heat that gripped the city in the early weeks of the month.
Western disturbance behind the shift
As per the report of the Hindustan Times, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) says a western disturbance is driving the change in weather. Its influence will be felt from Wednesday through Friday. Light rain, overcast skies, and strong winds are expected during this period. The IMD has placed Delhi under a yellow alert for Thursday and Friday. Wind gusts of 40 to 50 kmph are likely, along with short spells of rain on both days.
Delhi's maximum temperature stood at 31.6 degree Celsius on Tuesday, close to the seasonal norm. Wednesday could still touch 32 to 34 degrees Celsius before the cool-down begins. Thursday is expected to bring the mercury down to 29–31 degree Celsius, with Friday seeing a further drop to 27-29 degree Celsius, according to the Hindustan Times report.
As per an earlier Hindustan Times report, "The maximum may hover between 29C and 31C on Thursday and decrease further, to between 27C and 29C on Friday," said an IMD official. Even after the western disturbance passes, temperatures are likely to stay between 30C and 32C.
What to expect next?
On Thursday, cloudy skies, light rain, and thunderstorms are expected through the day. Winds will blow at 30-40 kmph and may gust up to 50 kmph. Friday will bring continued overcast conditions with repeated rain spells and thunderstorms. Strong winds of 30-40 kmph, gusting to 50 kmph, are likely in both the morning and later parts of the day.
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Which areas are on alert?
India Today also reported that the IMD warning is not limited to Delhi and covers several towns across nearby states. In Haryana, areas such as Panipat, Hisar, Rohtak, Rewari, Mahendargarh, Narnaul, Nuh, Palwal, Jhajjar, Narwana, Jind, Bhiwani, Sonipat, and Charkhi Dadri are on alert.
In western Uttar Pradesh, Shamli, Khekra, Bagpat, and Baraut are included, while in Rajasthan, Bhiwari, Khairthal, Kotputli, and Tizara are also under the warning zone.
