Delhi skies turn cloudy, IMD orange alert issued for rain, thunderstorm, lightning

E-PaperSubscribeSubscribeEnjoy unlimited accessSubscribe Now! Get features like The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an orange alert for all districts of Delhi on Tuesday afternoon, predicting light to moderate rain along with thunderstorms and lightning. Dark clouds seen hovering over the skies at Nehru Place in Delhi on Monday (Sanchit Khanna/Hindustan Times)The orange alert was in effect till 5:20 pm, according to the nowcast on IMD Delhi website. Light to moderate rain with gusty winds of up to 60 km per hour was predicted over Delhi. An orange alert is in place in the national capital till 5:20 pm on Tuesday, as per the nowcast shown on the IMD website for Delhi. The weather agency has predicted light to moderate rain and thunderstorms, accompanied by gusty winds with speeds up to 60 km per hour. Notably, a western disturbance over north Iran and the Caspian Sea region, along with active cyclonic circulations over northwest Rajasthan, is affecting the weather over north India for the past few days, as per the IMD. Another western disturbance is expected on April 2, with chances of very light rain in the national capital on April 3 and 4, as mentioned in an earlier HT report. Parts of Delhi also received light rain on Monday evening, which brought a brief relief after the capital reeled under a warm day and humid conditions with temperatures hovering around 35 degrees Celsius. Delhi is likely to log its warmest March in four years, even though a few western disturbances brought slightly cooler conditions towards the end of the month. As of March 30, the average maximum temperature for the month is 2.6°C above the long-period average (LPA) of 29.9°C, according to data from the IMD. The last time the average was higher was in March 2022, when it reached 33.4°C, as mentioned in an earlier HT report. Data reviewed by HT shows that the average maximum temperature during the first half of March was 33.7°C, while the average for the second half so far stands at 31.3°C. In comparison, the LPA for the first half is 28°C, and for the second half it is 31.6°C. The all-time high for the national capital was on March 31, 1945, when temperatures touched 40.6°C. Follow the latest breaking news and developments from India and around the world with Hindustan Times' newsdesk. From politics and policies to the economy and the environment, from local issues to national events and global affairs, we've got you covered.Read More