Delhi NCR rains: IMD issues red alert for thunderstorms and heavy rainfall

Rain lashed several parts of Delhi-NCR on Thursday, bringing much-needed relief from the prevailing humid and warm conditions. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for thunderstorms and heavy rainfall in parts of the region, forecasting cloudy skies, moderate spells of rain and strong surface winds.

According to the IMD, Delhi recorded a maximum temperature between 33°C and 34.8°C on Wednesday, marking a significant drop from the intense heat experienced earlier this week. The weather department has forecast Thursday's maximum temperature to remain between 32°C and 34°C, accompanied by light to moderate rain and gusty winds.

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The IMD said conditions are favourable for the further advance of the southwest monsoon into more parts of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Punjab and parts of Rajasthan over the next two days.

Senior IMD scientist Naresh Yadav said the monsoon is expected to advance further across Punjab, Haryana, Delhi-NCR, Uttar Pradesh and parts of Gujarat's west coast in the coming days. He added that extremely heavy rainfall is likely over the Konkan region, Goa and South Gujarat over the next four to five days, prompting the weather department to issue a red alert for these regions.

An orange alert has also been issued for Mumbai, where heavy rainfall is likely at isolated places, with the possibility of waterlogging in low-lying areas. Yadav further said very heavy rainfall is also expected over Odisha and parts of central India.

Also Read: IMD issues red alert for Mumbai
The IMD said the strengthening southwest monsoon is likely to influence weather patterns across several northern states, increasing the likelihood of widespread rainfall over the coming days.

Meanwhile, the southwest monsoon covered the entire Uttarakhand on Wednesday. The IMD has issued an orange alert for Thursday, forecasting heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places across five districts, including Dehradun. Authorities have warned of possible waterlogging, landslides and other rain-related disruptions in vulnerable areas.

According to the Dehradun Meteorological Centre, the monsoon entered most parts of Uttarakhand on Tuesday before covering the entire state by Wednesday, triggering widespread rainfall across several districts.

Weather data released by the centre showed that Dehradun recorded 56 mm of rainfall on Wednesday, followed by Jolly Grant (52.5 mm), Laksar (49 mm), Mussoorie (43 mm), Rudraprayag (32.5 mm), Haldwani (29.5 mm), Pauri Garhwal (28.5 mm), Kirtinagar (23.5 mm) and Khanpur (23 mm).

With agency inputs