Weather Update: Yellow alert issued in Delhi-NCR; IMD forecasts moderate rainfall in Delhi till...

Delhi witnessed an intense storm, the highest this season and second-highest since 2018, on Sunday, according to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD). The severe weather conditions caused widespread disruptions, across the city, including a mobile tower collapse in Safdarjung Enclave, uprooted trees, and power cuts among others. The weather department attributed the storm to the interaction of Bay of Bengal moisture with a western disturbance, combined with a cyclonic circulation over north Rajasthan and an eastward-extending trough. However, the storm brought relief from the heat, with Safdarjung's maximum temperature reaching 35.6 degrees Celsius, three notches below normal from 41.8 degrees Celsius the previous day. The ‘feel-like’ temperature dropped from 51 degrees Celsius to 43 degrees Celsius. 

Subsequently, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a yellow alert until June 19. It has forecasted similar weather conditions until June 21. Light to moderate rain, thunderstorms and gusty winds up to 60 kmph are likely to hit the national capital on Monday and Tuesday, with temperatures expected to hover around 36–38°C. “During this intense spell, light to moderate rainfall was recorded, with Safdarjung also recording hail on Sunday. Across the city, strong winds between 50 and 100 km/hr were recorded and visibility dipped from 4,000 metres at 2 am to around 1,500 metres at 3 am due to dust upliftment,” reported an IMD official.

Despite a respite in temperature after the storm, Delhi’s humidity remained high at 65%. The wet-bulb temperature was reported at 28.1°C. For the unversed, the wet-bulb temperatures above 32°C severely impair the body's ability to cool itself, with 35°C considered the theoretical survivability limit. The IMD has predicted temperatures ranging between 35°C to 37°C during the day and 22-24°C at night on Monday. 

Meanwhile, Delhi's air quality showed significant improvement, following the thunderstorm on Sunday. The Air Quality Index (AQI) has plummeted to 140 from 156, still within the 'moderate' category. As a result, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) lifted Stage-I restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), which were enforced starting June 7. The panel announced, "Given the improvement in AQI and forecasts indicating continued moderate levels, the CAQM Sub-Committee on GRAP has decided to revoke Stage-I measures across the NCR with immediate effect.”