IMD predicts light rains at Red Fort on Independence Day morning

The Red Fort in Delhi is central to India's Independence Day celebrations. The national flag is hoisted there every year by the prime minister. (Image credit: Reuters)

The weather office has forecast light rain and strong winds on Monday morning in the area surrounding the Red Fort where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hoist the national flag to mark the 76th Independence Day. In a special forecast, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the Red Fort area could experience a generally cloudy sky with light rain in the morning hours between 6 AM and 12 noon.

"Strong wind occasionally with speed reaching 20-30 km per hour likely to prevail during the forenoon," the weather forecast said. The minimum temperature on Monday morning was expected to be in the range of 25-27 degrees Celsius, it said, adding that the mercury could touch 36 degrees Celsius during the day.

The weather office has also forecast generally cloudy sky with light rain over the Red Fort area from Sunday midnight till 6 AM. The weather office started issuing three-hourly nowcast for the region from Sunday afternoon.

Parts of the national capital received light rains on Sunday with Palam reporting 10.8 mm rainfall between 8:30 AM and 6:30 PM followed by Lodhi Road and Ridge (6.4 mm each), Pusa (4.5 mm) and Ayanagar (3.1 mm), the weather office said. The maximum temperature reported in the national capital on Sunday was 34 degrees Celsius, while the mercury settled at 27.1 degrees Celsius in the morning.