Thunderstorm, Heavy Rain Lash Parts of Delhi-NCR; 9 Flights Diverted to Jaipur, 1 to Lucknow

Delhi on Tuesday was hit by a severe thunderstorm that affected the vehicular movement in the national capital. Earlier in the day, the Indian Meteorological Department issued a rain alert till Wednesday adding that no heatwave conditions are likely in the NCR region till June 4.

Delhi experienced moderate to severe thunderstorms with lightning and gusty winds, reaching speeds of 70-80 kilometres per hour, the Met Office said.

Owing to a sudden change in weather in Delhi, some 10 flights were diverted out of which nine flights were diverted to Jaipur while one flight was diverted to Lucknow between 6.25 pm-8 pm.

Several parts of Delhi received a fresh spell of rain on Monday as well accompanied by strong winds and cloudy skies.

As per the central weather agency, Delhi is expected to receive another western followed by rains and storms in the next few days.

“Usually, five to six western disturbances are recorded in the northern plains in April and May. We saw 10 western disturbances, mostly strong ones, this time,” Kuldeep Srivastava, head of the Regional Forecasting Centre of the IMD told PTI.

The maximum temperatures are predicted to remain below the 40-degree mark until June 5.

The Safdarjung Observatory, Delhi’s primary weather station, recorded a maximum temperature of 35.9 degrees Celsius, five notches below normal, on Tuesday.

As gusty winds blew across the city, many pedestrians rushed for shelter as it began to rain while vehicular movement was also affected.

The weather office has issued a ‘yellow’ alert for Wednesday, warning of traffic disruptions and inundation of low-lying areas due to rain. The maximum temperature is expected to hover around 35 degrees Celsius.

May, historically the hottest month in Delhi with a mean maximum temperature of 39.5 degrees Celsius, has recorded below-normal temperatures and excess rain this time.

(With PTI inputs)