Yellow alert in Delhi: Thunderstorms, rain to continue till July 9, says IMD

Parts of the national capital witnessed rain on Saturday, offering some respite even as humid conditions continued to trouble residents. Skies stayed overcast through much of the day, with morning humidity levels touching 77 per cent.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has sounded a yellow alert, forecasting light to moderate rain accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning over the next few hours. Wind speeds during this spell are expected to range between 30-40 kmph.

Also read: Mumbai weather: IMD issues 'red alert' as financial capital braces for heavy rains


Safdarjung observatory recorded a minimum temperature of 29 degrees Celsius on Saturday, 1.1 degrees above the seasonal average. The maximum is expected to settle around 35 degrees Celsius.

The IMD said the wet spell is likely to persist till July 9, with cloud cover and thunderstorm activity continuing through the week. "Light thunderstorm activity is expected with wind speeds ranging from 30-40 kmph and gusting up to 50-60 kmph. Rainfall activity is likely to be on the higher side from tomorrow," said IMD scientist Akhil Srivastava.

The Southwest Monsoon advanced into entire Delhi on July 2, along with parts of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan, the IMD said. According to the weather office's all-India forecast, isolated thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds reaching 40-50 kmph and gusting to 60 kmph are likely over Delhi, Haryana, Chandigarh and Punjab through July 8, with fairly widespread to widespread rainfall expected over the region on July 2 and again between July 5 and 8.