Orange alert in Delhi! Thunderstom hits parts of NCR; heavy rains, hailstorm to continue till Tuesday

Heavy downpour, lightning and thunder lashed several parts of Delhi on Sunday. According to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD)forecast, Delhi will witness incessant rain accompanied with thunderstorm and hailstorm till Tuesday, dropping the mercury further in the next few days.

“Thunderstorm with light to moderate intensity rainfall to occur over some parts of south and West Delhi (Ayanagar, Deramandi, Tughalkabad) and some districts of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and other parts of north India,” the IMD has said. The western cyclonic disturbances brought in constant rainfall in the national capital and its neighbouring states since the second day of the new year.

IMD also issued an ‘orange alert for January 4 and 5 to alert the government agencies about rain and thunderstorm related emergencies. Delhi recorded 39.9 mm rain between 8,30 am on Jan 02 and 2.30 pm on the next day. Between 8.30 am on Saturday and 8.30 am on Sunday, Delhi had recorded 25.1 mm rain.

Meanwhile, the rain-affected both the minimum and maximum temperatures. On Sunday temperature recorded was at 9.9 degree Celsius, three degrees above normal. The maximum temperature was 158 degree Celsius four degrees below normal. An intense cold wave numbed Delhi on December 30, 31 and January 1 with minimum temperature dropping to 1.1 degree Celsius on January 01.

According to Kuldeep Srivastava, head, regional weather forecasting centre, the minimum temperature is likely to fall again to 4 to 5 degree Celsius after the western disturbances move away, but they will not fall as low as 1 degree Celsius.

After the wet spells cease on Jan 05, fresh northerly, northwesterly winds will get through the plains of northwest India causing severe cold conditions at isolated places in Haryana, Punjab and north Rajasthan from January 7, the IMD bulletin said.