Delhi and its surrounding areas experienced a bout of rain and thunderstorms early Friday morning, bringing a noticeable change in weather conditions. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had issued a "Yellow Alert" for the region, forecasting cloudy skies and scattered showers throughout the day.
The rain, accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds reaching speeds of 40-60 kmph, was witnessed across multiple parts of Delhi. The IMD's earlier "Orange Nowcast Warning" indicated that several pockets of Delhi were likely to experience intense spells of rain, coupled with moderate thunderstorm activity. Areas such as Narela, Bawana, Alipur, Burari, Kanjhawala, Rohini, Badli, Model Town, Azadpur, Pitampura, Mundka, Pashchim Vihar, Punjabi Bagh, Rajouri Garden, Jaffarpur, Najafgarh, and Dwarka were expected to be affected.
Neighboring regions also experienced similar weather conditions. Bahadurgarh, in the National Capital Region (NCR), was among the areas identified for rainfall and thunderstorm activity. In Haryana, districts including Rohtak, Jhajjar, Farukhnagar, Mahendargarh, and Narnaul were likely to experience rain and winds. Kotputli in Rajasthan was also expected to be impacted.
The change in weather is attributed to an active western disturbance over northern India. This disturbance is expected to bring rain, snowfall, thunderstorms, hail, and gusty winds to the western Himalayas and adjoining plains, with peak intensity expected today. The IMD forecasts widespread rainfall and snowfall over Jammu-Kashmir-Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand. Isolated heavy falls are expected in higher reaches such as the Kashmir Valley and central Himalayan districts.
While the rain brought relief from the prolonged dry spell, it also led to a drop in temperatures across the city. Minimum temperatures in Delhi had previously fallen slightly, while maximum temperatures rose. The maximum temperature in Delhi-NCR is expected to be between 18–20°C, while the minimum temperature is likely to range from 11–13°C on Friday. The IMD forecasts that minimum temperatures will rise by 5-6°C over the next 24 hours, followed by a drop of 5-6°C over the next four days, before rising again.
Despite the incoming precipitation, cold wave and dense fog conditions are expected to persist across the Indo-Gangetic plains. Dense fog is likely to form in isolated pockets during early mornings and nights over parts of Haryana, Punjab, Chandigarh, and Delhi-NCR, potentially reducing visibility and affecting travel.
The air quality in Delhi remained in the 'very poor' category on Friday morning, with the overall 24-hour average AQI standing at 313. While the rain is expected to improve air pollution levels, air quality is likely to remain 'moderate' before slipping back to the 'poor' category. The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) revoked Stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across Delhi-NCR, but measures under Stages I and II will remain in force.
