Monsoon to hit Delhi in 2 days; Rain, storms expected; Yellow alert issued till Tuesday

NEW DELHI: The monsoon is likely to reach Delhi within the next two days, with India Meteorological Department forecasting light to moderate rain and improved weather conditions.

The department has issued a yellow alert for the national capital and surrounding areas till Tuesday, warning of rain accompanied by thunderstorms and gusty winds of up to 50 kmph.According to IMD, heavy rain is expected over large parts of north and northwest India over the next three days as the southwest monsoon advances further into the region, supported by favourable moisture conditions. The monsoon is likely to arrive in Delhi by June 24.

IMD has predicted a normal monsoon for the season."Southwest monsoon has further advanced over most parts of Himachal Pradesh, the entire Ladakh and Kashmir region, most parts of Jammu, and parts of Punjab," said RK Jenamani, senior weather scientist at IMD. "The Northern Limit of Monsoon currently passes through Jaipur, Agra, Rampur, Dehradun, Shimla, Pathankot and Jammu. Conditions remain favourable for its advancement over the remaining parts of the North Arabian Sea, more areas of Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, western Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh during the next two days.

"Despite the forecast of rain from Sunday onward, no significant weather activity was recorded in the capital till late evening. However, the city's air quality continued to improve.Sunday marked the fifth consecutive day of satisfactory air quality, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) standing at 92 (on a 0–500 scale) at 4 pm. The improvement was aided by sporadic rain and surface winds, which helped disperse pollutants.Delhi govt, in a statement, said Punjabi Bagh recorded the lowest AQI among all major city locations, logging a reading of just 62. Officials attributed the cleaner air to consistent enforcement action and on-ground pollution control measures."In the past 24 hours, 211 old or end-of-life vehicles — petrol vehicles older than 15 years and diesel vehicles older than 10 years — were impounded," the statement said. "Additionally, 11,157 pollution challans were issued across the city."Environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said, "Our strict action on old vehicles and field-level monitoring is producing measurable results. From citywide improvements to local successes like Punjabi Bagh, Delhi is steadily moving towards a cleaner air reality."On the weather front, Delhi experienced a partly cloudy sky on Sunday, with a slight drop in daytime temperatures. The Safdarjung base station recorded a maximum temperature of 36.2°C, two degrees below the normal for this time of year, compared to 37.3°C a day earlier.

The minimum temperature stood at 28.4°C, marginally higher than Saturday's 27.8°C but still within the seasonal average.Despite the slight dip in temperature, high humidity pushed the discomfort levels up. The heat index, or ‘feels-like' temperature, touched 47.5°C. However, IMD expects the maximum temperature to ease further over the coming days, hovering between 33°C and 35°C on Monday, with a possibility of light showers by evening.