Several parts of Delhi on Friday received light rains, bringing relief amidst the intense heatwave in the National Capital and surrounding areas that has been grappling the city for more than a month.
Thunderstorms with light to moderate intensity rain and gusty winds with speeds of 30 to 50 kmph hit Delhi and adjoining areas of the National Capital Region after 3 pm. The city's minimum temperature settled at 28.4 degrees Celsius, normal for this time of the season, the Met ofice said.
Many areas also witnessed waterlogging and trees falling due to the rain. According to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), a total of 13 areas witnessed waterlogging situation, including Karol Bagh, Chhattarpur, Shahdara north, Karala, Narela, Sonia Vihar, Shahdara south, Rohini, Civil line, Hari Kunj, and Mitraon and Gaushala road in Najafgarh. Tree falling was also witnessed in various areas in the city, including Karol Bagh, East of Kailash, Mangolpuri, Rajinder Nagar, Karawal nagar, south Moti bagh, Tagore Garden extension, Gulabi Bagh and Rohini sector 11.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had earlier predicted thunderstorms with light to moderate intensity rain and gusty winds with speeds of 30 to 50 kmph in Delhi and adjoining areas of the National Capital Region for two hours.
The maximum temperature was recorded at 40.4 degrees Celsius, two notches above the normal marking a deviation from the soaring temperatures being witnessed in Delhi.
People in Delhi can also enjoy their weekends outdoors this time as the IMD predicted some relief from the searing heatwave as the sky is likely to remain partly cloudy on Saturday and Sunday. Many children were seen on the streets playing in the rain and enjoying their summer holidays. Although, heatwave will return in the city as the IMD predicts its return on Monday.
Maximum temperatures across different parts of the city dropped to below 40 degrees celsius bringing respite to the people who have been hit not only by heat but also with water crisis and power outage.
The Pusa area recorded the lowest maximum temperature of 37.9 degrees Celsius, followed by 38 degrees at Pragati Maidan and Rajghat, 38.8 degrees at Aya nagar, 39 degrees at Lodi road, Salwan Public school and Ridge, 39.3 degrees at Palam, 39.4 degrees at Jafarpur, 39.7 degrees at Pitampura and 39.9 degrees at Najafgarh.
After days of significant deviations of maximum recorded temperatures from the normal, several areas like Jafarpur, Palam and Salwan witnessed no deviation. Moreover, Aya nagar recorded two notches below the normal maximum temperature, along with Ridge which marked a 1.9 degrees deviation from normal and Pragati Maidan and Rajghat, each of the areas recording one notch below the normal temperature.
With a spike in heatstroke cases in Delhi and surrounding areas, the current heatwave has taken its toll on everyone. Authorities have been on high alert, with hospitals ordered to establish special departments to manage such cases. Police, however, have not confirmed if they died of heat-related causes.
Delhi's relative humidity was 70 per cent at 8.30 am and 72 per cent at 5:30 pm. The IMD on Thursday said that heatwave conditions have abated from Delhi under the influence of western disturbance and lower-level easterlies from Bay of Bengal.
