(Image source from: NDTV.com)
On Thursday Delhi and National Capital Region (NCR) has seen heavy rain and hail storms, covering roads and parks in a white shroud.
According to officials from the India Meteorological Department (IMD), a western disturbance that brought snow to Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh is behind the sudden turn in weather in Delhi.
The months of January, February, and March are the second predicted to see hailstorms after May, in addition, the probability of rain is also high, as per IMD’s historical data.
The evening rain also brought traffic to a standstill in south, west and central Delhi. Reports of waterlogging and prolonged traffic jams were reported from India Gate, Gole Market, and Connaught Place.
Heavy rain and hailstorm seen at many parts of Delhi-NCR. These visuals are from Noida. https://t.co/dDCRxSgusj pic.twitter.com/I0XBocX2aT
— The Indian Express (@IndianExpress) February 7, 2019
The adverse weather also forced the Air Traffic Control to divert 14 domestic and four international flights from Indira Gandhi International Airport. Several other flights, which were heading to Delhi, were not allowed to take off from their points of origin.
The maximum temperature on Thursday plummeted 6 degrees Celsius - from 25.1 degrees on Wednesday to 19.1 degrees Celsius on Thursday.
The minimum temperature, however, was recorded at 15 degrees Celsius, six degrees above normal. “A warm Wednesday and an overcast sky meant that heat was trapped and the morning temperature was unusually high,” said an IMD official.
According to officials, while no rain is expected during the next six days, mornings and days are expected to be colder than usual.
The city can expect moderate fog on Friday, followed by haze, even as officials expect a primarily clear sky.
The temperature is foreseen to be between 10 and 19 degrees Celsius. Air quality, in the meantime, took a turn for the better and went from “very poor” on Wednesday to “moderate” on Thursday.
“The rains were preceded by strong winds which helped in the dispersal of concentrated pollutants. Strong winds are expected for the next two days too,” said a Central Pollution Control Board official.
-Sowmya Sangam
