With zero heatwave days, Delhi records its 'wettest' ever May

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Delhi has witnessed an unprecedented weather event this year by recording its wettest May ever, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has said in its data.

The capital city received a staggering 188.9 mm of rainfall between May 1 and May 30, setting a new all-time high for the month. With this, the city surpassed the previous record of 165 mm set back in May 2008 and witnessed the wettest May ever recorded.

May is considered one of the hottest months in Delhi and is typically marked by intense heat and frequent heatwave conditions - making it an official onset of extreme heat in the northern city.

However, contrary to what May usually is like in Delhi, this year proved to be unusual. The capital city did not experience even one day of the heatwave in May this year. This is contrary to May of last year, when Delhi saw six days of extreme heat.

In the last few days, the city experienced multiple thunderstorms, accompanied with gusty winds and incessant rainfall, which contributed in bringing down the heat. One of these storms, in particular, turned out to be severe and impacted various parts of the National Capital Region (NCR) - causing widespread destruction to property and in some cases, even life.

Experts have said that this shift in weather patterns may be related to broader climatic changes and evolving monsoon dynamics. Just yesterday, Delhi was put on yellow alert, with a forecast of a thunderstorm and gusty winds. On Saturday morning, the city also woke up to dusty air, causing low visibility.