Following a rainy evening on Wednesday, Delhi experienced another spell of rain and a thunderstorm today because of western disturbance , which caused the minimum temperature to drop to 15 degrees Celsius.
Following a rainy evening on Wednesday, Delhi experienced another spell of rain and a thunderstorm today, due to which the minimum temperature dropped to 15 degrees Celsius today. The unseasonal showers have been attributed to western disturbances by the weather service. The India Meteorological Department issued a bulletin on Thursday stating that the minimum temperature in the nation's capital was 17.8 degrees Celsius. It is anticipated that the highest temperature will be approximately 32 degrees Celsius.
On Saturday, Delhi saw 12.2 mm of rain fall in a 24-hour period—the highest amount of precipitation in a March day in three years. Over the course of the past week, a series of western disturbances over northwest India caused rain and hail in a number of locations, including the nation's capital.
Dr Naresh, IMD Scientist, told ANI, "Yesterday's rain was due to a western disturbance. In the coming two days, in northwest India, including the western Himalaya region, there is a possibility of rainfall, thunderstorm and hailstorm. The temperatures all over India is normal and no possibility of a heatwave as of now."
What is Western Disturbance?
However, let's learn about the western disturbances. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) defines western disturbances as storms that originate in the Caspian or Mediterranean Sea and bring non-monsoonal rainfall to northwest India.
They are known as an extra-tropical storm that is thought to have its origins in the Mediterranean. Northwest India experiences sudden showers, snowfall, and fog during this area of low pressure.
Precipitation during the winter season is very important in agriculture, especially for rabi crops. Wheat is one of the most important crops for India's food security. During the winter, an average of four to five western disturbances occur. Rainfall distribution and amount vary with each western disturbance.
The primary crop grown during the winter months is wheat, and in certain regions of the nation, harvesting has already begun. For the 2022–2023 crop year (July–June), the government has predicted a record wheat output of 112.2 million tonne.
While rain has delayed the heat wave by lowering temperatures, it has also damaged standing crops in northern and central India, including Punjab, Haryana, and Madhya Pradesh.
Because of the unwanted monsoon, farmers in these states were advised last week by the India Meteorological Department to defer harvesting wheat and other rabi crops.
The IMD advised farmers to harvest mature crops, such as mustard and chickpeas in some states, as soon as possible and store them in secure locations. To prevent lodging, farmers have also been asked to stop irrigating their wheat.
However, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar stated that early reports indicate the current unseasonal rains and hailstorm did not have a significant effect on standing crops.
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 "DNA Explainer: What is Western Disturbance, which caused sudden rainfall in Delhi-NCR today?")
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