NEW DELHI: Heavy rain lashed parts of Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) on Thursday, bringing respite from hot and humid conditions after days of high temperatures.The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a yellow alert for Delhi-NCR, forecasting cloudy skies, moderate spells of rain, thunderstorms, lightning and strong surface winds over the coming days.Rain was reported from several parts of Delhi, Noida and Ghaziabad, while overcast skies and gusty winds kept temperatures lower, offering relief to commuters and office-goers.According to the IMD, Delhi is expected to receive light to moderate rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning and winds of 40-50kmph between 1 July and 6 July. The weather office has also forecast cloudy skies throughout the week, with intermittent spells of rain across the capital and surrounding areas.Although the southwest monsoon has not officially reached Delhi, it has advanced into parts of Uttar Pradesh and is moving closer to the capital, as well as Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan. The IMD said weather conditions are becoming increasingly favourable for its arrival, while pre-monsoon showers have already begun affecting the region.The first spell of rain, accompanied by strong winds on Tuesday night, brought significant relief from the intense heat. Cooler conditions persisted through Wednesday and into Thursday, raising expectations that the monsoon could arrive in Delhi soon.Just a day earlier, the city had recorded high temperatures. The minimum temperature stood at 31.2°C, while the maximum reached 40.5°C at Safdarjung, Delhi’s base weather station. The Ridge recorded a maximum of 41.5°C, while Ayanagar touched 40.1°C.The IMD said maximum temperatures had fallen by 1-2°C over the previous 24 hours, while minimum temperatures increased slightly by a similar margin. Westerly to northwesterly winds blowing at 15-20kmph during the day also contributed to improving weather conditions.With more rain forecast over the next few days, residents are likely to experience relatively cooler temperatures and relief from the recent spell of oppressive heat.
