Delhi-NCR woke up on Friday to light rain, mild thunderstorms, and gusty winds, as a sudden weather shift brought back a winter-like chill to the national capital. This change follows a brief spell of rising temperatures ahead of summer. The rainfall has made this March the wettest in three years, with the city recording an average of 9.4 mm so far. March last recorded higher rainfall in 2023, when it reached 50.4 mm, according to PTI.
The forecast predicts light to moderate rain on Friday, along with thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds of 30–40 kmph. The minimum temperature dropped to 18°C, while the maximum fell below 30°C a day earlier for the first time in nearly a month, settling at 26.8°C on Thursday, according to the IMD. The IMD has issued a yellow alert for Friday, warning of continued rainfall and a further dip in temperatures to around 23–25°C.
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Stormy March spell in Delhi; temperatures set to climb next week
The IMD said the city will witness generally cloudy skies with spells of very light to light rain in the morning, accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning, and strong winds of 30–40 kmph, gusting up to 50 kmph. It added that one or two spells of light to moderate rain, along with thunderstorms, lightning, and similar wind speeds, will occur from the forenoon to evening. According to the IMD’s seven-day forecast, temperatures will gradually rise after Friday, with the maximum likely to reach 32–34°C by March 25.An active western disturbance over northwest India, which intensified on Wednesday, has caused the sudden change in weather.
Experts say the system affecting North India is unusual. Climate scientist Dr Pradeep said on X that the western disturbance has a rare structure, with a long, straight trough stretching thousands of kilometres—something not commonly seen. He added that it can trigger strong thunderstorms and advised people to remain cautious and follow IMD updates. The shift in weather has also brought relief from the intense March heat. The city recorded a high of 36.8°C on March 11—eight degrees above normal—after temperatures crossed 35°C as early as March 7, the earliest such rise in at least 15 years.
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