Delhi weather alert: Thunderstorms bring relief, heatwave not over yet

New Delhi: Residents across Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) woke up to light rain and cloudy skies on Saturday, getting a much-needed break after enduring days of intense heatwave conditions.

The rainfall, accompanied by thunderstorm activity across northwest India, brought temporary relief to the capital, where temperatures had remained well above seasonal averages in recent days.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the weather shift is linked to changing wind patterns and atmospheric activity affecting the region.

On Friday, Delhi continued to reel under scorching temperatures, with Safdarjung, the city’s base weather station, recording a maximum temperature of 43.3 degrees Celsius, which was 3.1 degrees above normal.

The minimum temperature settled at 29.3 degrees Celsius. The IMD had predicted a maximum temperature of 44 degrees Celsius for Saturday, along with the possibility of light rain and thunderstorms.

Despite the brief respite, weather officials have cautioned that relief may be short-lived.

The IMD said heatwave conditions are likely to continue in Delhi until May 28. Meteorologists said winds that were earlier blowing from Rajasthan and the Thar Desert had made conditions extremely dry, pushing temperatures sharply upward.

While a temporary change in wind direction has caused a slight dip in temperatures, hotter conditions are expected to return.

Weather experts have warned that temperatures could once again touch the 45-degree Celsius mark in the coming days as winds are expected to shift back towards the Thar Desert region.

However, some longer-term relief could be on the horizon. Meteorologists expect pre-monsoon activity to begin in early June, which may bring increased cloud cover and scattered rainfall across the region.