Thunderstorms, rain and gusty winds swept across Delhi-NCR on Thursday afternoon, bringing much-needed relief from heatwave-like conditions that had gripped the region for several weeks.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a yellow alert for June 4 and 5, warning of thunderstorms, lightning and strong surface winds.
Before the storms, the primary weather station at Safdarjung recorded a maximum temperature of 40.5°C, 0.5°C above normal, while the minimum stood at 29.7°C. Despite crossing 40°C again after several days, temperatures fell sharply after afternoon thunderstorm activity.
IMD data showed steep temperature drops across parts of Delhi-NCR within a few hours. Ayanagar recorded the sharpest fall, plunging from 41.7°C before the storm to 22.7°C afterwards—a drop of 19°C. Mayur Vihar saw a decline of 14.9°C, while Pushp Vihar, the Sports Complex area and Mungeshpur recorded falls of 14.8°C, 14.6°C and 14.4°C respectively.
Safdarjung recorded 1.6 mm of rainfall during the storm, while Palam received 10.7 mm. Elsewhere, Pragati Maidan logged 12.8 mm, Pushp Vihar 10.5 mm, Pusa 8 mm, and Ayanagar the highest in Delhi at 27.6 mm. Mayur Vihar recorded 23 mm, reflecting uneven rainfall across the city.
Strong winds accompanied the storm, with Palam reporting gusts of 65 kmph. Wind speeds reached 56 kmph at Pitampura, 52 kmph at Pragati Maidan and 50 kmph at Pusa. The highest gusts in the NCR were recorded at Dadri, where winds touched 93 kmph.
The IMD attributed the weather to a western disturbance interacting with moisture-laden easterly winds. Such systems originate over the Mediterranean region and move eastwards, often bringing rain and thunderstorms to north India during the pre-monsoon period.
The IMD has forecast a further fall of 3–4°C in maximum temperatures over the next three days, offering continued relief from the heat. Minimum temperatures are expected to dip by around 2°C over the next 24 hours before gradually rising later in the week.
Delhi’s air quality improved to the “moderate” category, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) at 164 on Thursday. Peak power demand in the capital, according to the State Load Dispatch Centre, was 7,227 MW.
