Delhi is bracing for a spell of rain, thunderstorms, and strong gusty winds reaching up to 70 kilometers per hour from Wednesday through Friday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned. In response to the expected severe weather, the IMD has issued yellow and orange alerts signaling moderate to severe weather-related risks for the city.
On Wednesday, light to moderate rain accompanied by gusty winds of up to 50 km/h is anticipated, with the intensity expected to increase on Thursday and peak on Friday when winds could reach 70 km/h. The IMD upgraded its alert for Friday from yellow to orange, indicating heightened caution due to the likelihood of stronger winds and rain.
This month alone, five major storms have caused significant damage in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR), resulting in at least 12 fatalities from house collapses, electrocutions, and uprooted trees. Despite the recent weather events, there had been no color-coded alert for Wednesday until the afternoon announcement by the IMD.
Delhi has already recorded 186.4 mm of rainfall in May, making it the wettest May on record for the city, surpassing the previous record of 165 mm set in May 2008. The long-period average (LPA) for rainfall in May is just 30.7 mm, highlighting the unusually heavy monsoon activity this year.
Parts of Delhi experienced scattered light rain on Monday morning, and the IMD forecasts a wet week ahead. A thunderstorm accompanied by three hours of heavy rain over the weekend disrupted flight schedules, caused waterlogging, power outages, and uprooted trees, raising concerns about the city’s infrastructure readiness for the monsoon season.
Looking ahead, the Delhi, Chandigarh, and Haryana subdivision is expected to receive above-normal monsoon rainfall at 114% of the long-period average (LPA) from June to September, according to the IMD’s seasonal forecast issued on Tuesday. Across India, above-normal rainfall of 106% of the LPA is predicted for the same period. Northwest India, including Delhi, is forecasted to experience a normal monsoon, between 92-108% of the LPA.
For this subdivision, the normal monsoon rainfall is approximately 431 mm. While the monsoon typically reaches Delhi by June 27, this year it is advancing rapidly, having already arrived in Kerala on May 24, a week ahead of schedule, and in Mumbai on May 26, also well before the usual June 11 onset.
Residents are advised to stay alert for weather updates and take necessary precautions in the coming days as the city prepares for a wet and windy monsoon phase.
Sources By Agencies