Rain lashes parts of Delhi-NCR; IMD predicts cloudy skies, strong surface winds

Rains lashed several parts of Delhi on Monday morning with thick clouds hovering over the Delhi-NCR region. A dust storm and light rain swept several parts of Delhi on Sunday, bringing the mercury two notches below the season's average to 37.4 degrees Celsius, the India Meteorological Department said. 

On/off short spells continuing throughout the night into the morning#DelhiRains pic.twitter.com/wQ7d5W5CQ5

— IndiaMetSky Weather (@indiametsky) May 7, 2023

The Met Department for Delhi-NCR said that thunderstorms with light to moderate-intensity rain would occur over and adjoining areas of a few places in Delhi ( Narela, Alipur, Burari, Model Town, Karawal Nagar), NCR ( Loni Dehat, Hindon AF Station, Greater Noida, Faridabad, Ballabhgarh) Gulaoti, Siyana,

08/05/2023: 07:00 IST; Thunderstorm with light to moderate intensity rain would occur over and adjoining areas of few places of Delhi ( Narela, Alipur, Burari, Model Town, Karawal Nagar), NCR ( Loni Dehat, Hindon AF Station, Greater Noida, Faridabad, Ballabhgarh) Gulaoti, Siyana,

— RWFC New Delhi (@RWFC_ND) May 8, 2023

Sikandrabad, Bulandshahar, Shikohabad (U.P.) during next 2 hours. pic.twitter.com/d1o4nZ7NVE

— RWFC New Delhi (@RWFC_ND) May 8, 2023

Nowcast-1
Scattered weak t-storms formed due to WD-MAY2 and with the help of few local factors are expected to move Eastward and they will bring isolated spell of light-moderate rain and one or two places may get a strong spell in #Ghaziabad, N-NW-C #Delhi, #Loni and adj areas… pic.twitter.com/8TLXWVKuU5

— IndiaMetSky Weather (@indiametsky) May 7, 2023

On Sunday, the observatory at Palam recorded 0.6 mm of rain while that at Safdarjung reported 4.2 mm between 8.30 am and 8.30 pm.  

For Monday, May 8, the Met dept. has forecast partly cloudy skies with strong surface winds reaching speeds of 30-40 kilometres an hour. The maximum and minimum temperatures are likely to hover around 38 and 23 degrees Celsius, respectively. 

Impact expected and action suggested due to Duststorm/Thunderstorm over parts of Delhi-NCR:

Impact expected:

 Traffic congestion and slippery roads due to rain.

 Routine outdoor buisness/activity very likely to affect.



— India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) May 7, 2023

Delhi receives over 200% excess rainfall in the pre-monsoon period

Delhi has received over 200 per cent excess rainfall in the pre-monsoon period i.e. March 1 to May 31 -- so far due to back-to-back western disturbances in the last two weeks. The Safdarjung Observatory, Delhi's primary weather station, has recorded 221 per cent more precipitation -- 119 mm against a normal of 37.1 mm -- during this time. Normally, it logs 48 mm of rainfall during the entire pre-monsoon period.

The manual weather station at Palam has recorded 109.9 mm of rainfall against a normal of 33 mm. The rainfall recorded at Lodhi Road (119.5 mm), Ridge (114.2 mm) and Ayanagar (113.4 mm) is at least 220 per cent above normal.

Delhi has been experiencing cloudy weather and sporadic rainfall for the last 15 days, a rarity during this time of the year. May has historically been the hottest month for Delhi with a mean maximum temperature of 39.5 degrees Celsius. Officials attributed this to back-to-back western disturbances, weather systems that originate in the Mediterranean region and bring unseasonal rainfall to northwest India. 

Forecast and warning in association with cyclogenesis over Bay of Bengal

A cyclonic circulation lies over the southeast Bay of Bengal and adjoining the south Andaman Sea and extends up to the middle tropospheric level. Under its influence, a low-pressure area is likely to form over the same region on the 8th of May. It is likely to intensify into a depression over the Southeast Bay of Bengal and the adjoining South Andaman Sea around 9th May. 

The Met Department has warned fishermen of squally weather in the southeast Bay of Bengal with windspeed reaching 40-50 kmph from Sunday onwards. It has also suggested that regulation of tourism and offshore activities and shipping near Andaman and Nicobar Islands between 8 and 12 May.

Rainfall warning: Moderate rainfall during 8-12 May with extremely heavy falls very likely over Andaman and Nicobar Islands on 10 and 11 May and very heavy rainfall on 8, 9, and 12 May 2023.

Heatwave Warning: The IMD noted that maximum temperatures are very likely to increase by 3-5°C over most parts of the country during the next 5 days and become near normal over Northwest India by 8 May and over the remaining parts of the country by 10th May. The Met department also mentioned that no heat wave conditions are likely over any part of India during the next 5 days