IMD issues yellow alert for Delhi with rain and gusty winds forecast this weekend
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert for New Delhi starting Saturday, forecasting an increase in monsoon activity with thunderstorms, light rainfall, and gusty winds over the weekend. Following a subdued onset of the southwest monsoon in the capital, weather conditions are expected to pick up as a central Indian weather system weakens. Safdarjung, Delhi's base station, recently recorded a maximum temperature of 35.8 degrees Celsius as the city prepares for wetter days ahead.
According to the IMD, Saturday will bring generally cloudy skies with one or two spells of very light to light rainfall. These showers are expected to be accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds ranging between 30 and 40 kmph, occasionally reaching up to 50 kmph. Maximum temperatures on Saturday are predicted to remain between 34 and 36 degrees Celsius.
Weather experts attributed the initial weak phase of the monsoon over Delhi and northern India to atmospheric systems in central India, including a low-pressure area over Odisha and a cyclonic circulation over southern Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat.
Mahesh Palawat, president of Skymet Weather, explained that this low-pressure trough concentrated moisture over states like Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh. Palawat noted that as this system weakens by the night of July 5 and the following morning, Delhi and other northern states like Punjab and Haryana can expect increased rainfall.
The IMD expects monsoon conditions to intensify further on Sunday. The forecast indicates light to moderate rain on Sunday morning, with another spell expected during the evening or night. Winds on Sunday could reach speeds of up to 60 kmph alongside thunderstorms and lightning.
Similar cloudy and rainy conditions are projected to persist into Monday and Tuesday. The IMD stated that a new low-pressure area over the northwest Bay of Bengal and a seasonal trough extending from northwest Rajasthan will keep the monsoon active, bringing widespread rainfall to Delhi and Haryana between July 6 and July 8.
Prior to the expected weekend shift, Safdarjung recorded a minimum temperature of 28.1 degrees Celsius on Friday, which was 0.2 degrees above normal. The base station also recorded 0.8 mm of rainfall over the 24 hours leading up to Friday.
