New Delhi, 02 July (H.S.):

The southwest monsoon has moved close to Delhi, bringing overnight showers to parts of the national capital and providing much-needed relief from the prevailing heat. Brief but intense rainfall in areas such as Mandi House led to a noticeable drop in temperature, making the weather pleasant for residents. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a Yellow Alert for Delhi-NCR, forecasting generally cloudy skies, moderate rainfall and strong winds on Wednesday.

According to the IMD, the temperature in Delhi dropped by 5.7 degrees Celsius over the past 24 hours. Safdarjung, the city's base weather station, recorded 0.1 mm of rainfall during the period. The maximum temperature was recorded at 34.8 degrees Celsius, while the minimum settled at 28.6 degrees Celsius. Relative humidity ranged between 48 per cent and 83 per cent.

The weather office said conditions are expected to remain unstable between July 2 and July 7, with frequent changes in weather patterns across the national capital.

The IMD has also forecast that a fresh western disturbance will affect northwest India from July 2. Its impact is likely to be felt late Wednesday night or during the morning of July 3. During this period, the sky is expected to remain partly to generally cloudy, with light rain accompanied by thunderstorms likely during the afternoon or evening.

For Wednesday, the IMD has predicted the maximum temperature to remain between 34 and 36 degrees Celsius. Generally cloudy skies, light rain, thunderstorms and gusty winds are expected. A Yellow Alert has been issued for the next three days, with similar weather conditions likely to continue on July 4, 5, 6 and 7. During this period, the maximum temperature is expected to range between 33 and 35 degrees Celsius, while the minimum temperature is likely to remain between 21 and 23 degrees Celsius.

According to the IMD, rainfall activity is expected to continue over Delhi during the coming days, with the maximum temperature likely to decline further to around 34 degrees Celsius. The department has also indicated that the southwest monsoon is expected to advance into Delhi, Haryana, Punjab and most parts of northern India within the next two to three days.

Although the arrival of the monsoon has been delayed over central and northwest India this year, it is now advancing rapidly. The normal date for the onset of the monsoon over Delhi is June 27. If it reaches the capital within the next two to three days, the delay will not be considered significant.

Meanwhile, the IMD has warned of very heavy rainfall over the Konkan region, Goa and south Gujarat during the next four to five days and has issued a Red Alert for these areas.

IMD Chandigarh Director Surinder Paul confirmed that the monsoon has already advanced into parts of Punjab and Haryana, with rainfall reported from several districts across the two states.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar