Weather Update Today: Heavy rains hit trains, flights in Delhi-NCR; IMD forecasts more downpour

The national capital continues to grapple with bone-chilling winter over the last few days

Residents of Delhi-NCR woke up to heavy rainfall for the second consecutive day on February 1. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) informed that the downpour is likely to continue in many parts of Delhi-NCR region, including Palam, Safdarjung, Ghaziabad, Noida, Indirapuram, and other areas throughout the day.

This comes as the national capital continues to grapple with a bone-chilling winter for the last several weeks, with the average maximum temperature hovering at 17.7 degrees Celsius in January 2024, the lowest since 2012.

Earlier in the day, the IMD took to microblogging site X, informing that thunderstorms, accompanied with light to moderate intensity rain would occur over and adjoining areas of few places of the national capital, including Narela, Bawana, Alipur, Burari, Rohini, Karawal Nagar and NCR including Loni Dehat, Hindon AF Station, Bahadurgarh, Ghaziabad, Indirapuram, Chhapraula, Noida, Gurugram, Manesar.

Meanwhile, as a result of the inclement weather, several flights and trains are running off schedule, further adding to the difficulties of travellers.

The Regional Meteorological Centre, New Delhi, has also predicted light rain/drizzle towards the evening of February 3, while moderate to shallow fog is expected to prevail in the city till February 6.

On January 31, the IMD informed that Northwest India is expected to see normal to above-normal rainfall in February even as it witnessed a drier-than-usual December and January.

Northwest India recorded just 3.1 mm of rainfall in January, the second lowest since 1901, the IMD said.

Northwest India consisting of seven meteorological sub-divisions (East Uttar Pradesh, West Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Chandigarh & Delhi, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh) is most likely to receive above-normal rainfall (more than 122 per cent of the long period average) in February.

Monthly rainfall over the country as a whole during February 2024 is also most likely to be above normal (more than 119 per cent of the long period average).