Monsoon Rain Returns to Delhi as Naraina Records 22mm, IMD Issues Yellow Alert
Monsoon showers returned to Delhi on Monday night and Tuesday morning after a prolonged dry spell, bringing down temperatures and prompting the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to issue a yellow alert. The rainfall, which hit several neighbourhoods including Naraina, Pusa, Chhattarpur, and Safdarjung, marked the end of an almost complete absence of rain that lasted over a week.
During the 24-hour period ending at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Naraina recorded the highest rainfall in the city at 22mm. This was closely followed by Pusa with 20mm, Chhattarpur with 19mm, and the Ridge weather station with 18.6mm.
Other parts of the capital also received varying amounts of precipitation. Ayanagar recorded 17.4mm of rain, while Palam saw 15mm, Janakpuri received 14mm, and Lodhi Road registered 12.2mm. Safdarjung, which serves as Delhi's base weather station, recorded 10.6mm of rainfall. Jafarpur received 9.5mm, while both Mayur Vihar and Najafgarh recorded 4.5mm of rain.
Following the showers, the IMD issued a yellow alert for Tuesday and Wednesday. The weather department forecast multiple spells of light to moderate rain, accompanied by thunderstorms and strong winds at most places till noon, with heavy rainfall likely at isolated locations. The department also predicted one or two spells of very light to light rain during the remainder of the day on Tuesday, with a similar forecast issued for Wednesday.
For Thursday, the weather department has forecast light to moderate rain in the morning and another spell between afternoon and evening, though no weather alert has been issued for the day. Very light to light rain is likely on Friday, while no rainfall has been forecast from Saturday to Monday.
The return of the rain caused a sharp drop in temperatures across the city. Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 31.6 degrees Celsius on Monday, which was 6.7 degrees lower than Sunday's maximum of 38.8 degrees Celsius. The maximum temperature is expected to remain between 29 degrees Celsius and 31 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, before gradually rising to reach between 33 degrees Celsius and 35 degrees Celsius by Sunday.
The showers also improved Delhi's air quality. The city's Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 83 at 11:05 a.m. on Tuesday, placing it in the "satisfactory" category.
