Delhi on yellow alert till Wednesday, IMD says no heatwave expected in next 7 days

Delhi rain

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert for Delhi for Tuesday and Wednesday, warning of thunderstorms, lightning and strong winds in the region. Light rain or thunderstorm activity is expected to continue for the next two days, along with gusty winds blowing at speeds of 40 to 50 kmph.

On Monday, Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 36.1 degrees Celsius, which is four degrees lower than normal, The Times of India reported.. Temperatures are expected to stay between 34 degrees Celsius and 37 degrees Celsius until Wednesday. No rain and thunderstorm is expected from Thursday till Saturday as the temperature is likely to rise towards 40 degrees Celsius by Friday, according to a Hindustan Times report.

An IMD scientist explained that a western disturbance and cyclonic circulation are behind the current weather patterns, causing thunderstorms and strong winds. “The impact of a western disturbance and cyclonic circulation is leading to thunderstorm activity and strong winds. There are varying degree of alerts for the entire northwest India till Tuesday. After that, activity in the region will begin to reduce and we will gradually see a rise in temperature,” Hindustan Times quoted IMD scientist Krishna Mishra as saying.

There is no forecast of a heatwave in Delhi for the next seven days. Winds will start blowing from the northwest later in the week, with moderate speeds between 20 and 30 kmph.

Delhi’s air quality was in the "moderate" category on Monday, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 158, according to the Central Pollution Control Board.

The bad weather also disrupted air travel in Delhi on Sunday evening. Between 4.30 pm and 6.10 pm, 14 flights were diverted due to thunderstorms, seven to Jaipur, two each to Chandigarh and Amritsar, and one each to Ahmedabad, Dehradun, and Lucknow. Over 350 flights were delayed, as per the flight tracking website Flightradar24.com.