Rain lashes parts of Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad; IMD predicts more downpour today; Check forecast

Rain on Thursday (July 21, 2022) continued to lash parts of Delhi-NCR with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicting more downpour during the day. According to the met department, thunderstorms with light to moderate intensity rain would also occur over several cities of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan.

"Thunderstorms with light to moderate intensity rain would occur over and adjoining areas of many places of Delhi, NCR(Ghaziabad, Dadri, Hindon-AF Station, Indirapuram, Chapraula), Yamunanagar, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Narwana, Karnal, Fatehabad, Rajaund, Ghaziabad, Assandh, Safidon, Barwala, Jind, Panipat, Adampur, Gohana, Gannaur, Hansi, Meham, Sonipat, Tosham, Rohtak, Kharkhoda, Bhiwani, Charkhi Dadri, Mattanhail, Jhajjar, Farukhnagar, Kosali, Mahendargarh, Sohana, Rewari, Narnaul, Bawal, Nuh (Haryana) Gangoh, Shamli, Kandhla, Baraut, Bagpat, Khekra (U.P.) Bhiwari, Tizara, Khairthal, Kotputli (Rajasthan) during next 2 hours," the IMD tweeted at 7:18 AM.

Earlier on Wednesday, moderate to heavy rain and gusty winds pummelled the national capital and paralysed road traffic in the city. It also forced the diversion of at least seven flights.

Strong winds uprooted trees and snapped power and internet cables in several areas, throwing parts of Delhi into chaos. The showers, however, provided a much-needed respite from the heat.

The Safdarjung observatory, Delhi's primary weather station, recorded 52.4 mm of rainfall, and a maximum temperature of 35.1 degrees Celsius, normal for this time of the year. The weather stations at Palam, Lodhi Road, Ridge, Ayanagar, Delhi University, Pusa and Sport Complex (near Commonwealth Games village) logged 92.4mm, 64mm, 21mm, 46.9mm, 21mm, 32mm and 19 mm of precipitation, respectively.

Rainfall recorded below 15 mm is considered light, between 15 and 64.5 mm is moderate, between 64.5 mm and 115.5 mm is heavy, and between 115.6 and 204.4 is very heavy. Anything above 204.4 mm is considered extremely heavy rainfall.

Before Wednesday's showers, the Safdarjung Observatory had recorded 189.6 mm of rainfall against a normal of 201 mm since the start of the monsoon season on June 1

The monsoon had covered the entire country on July 2, six days ahead of schedule. However, rains in Haryana, Punjab, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal had remained subdued. Meteorologists have attributed the rain deficit in north and northwest India to the formation of back-to-back low-pressure areas in the Bay of Bengal in July which kept the monsoon trough over central India for an unusually long period.