‘Thunderstorms may hit Delhi over next two days’
WARNING Weather dept says Monday may see light rain, forecasts gusty winds on Tuesday
NEW DELHI : Drizzle and thunderstorms along with gusty winds are likely to hit Delhi over the next two days, the meteorological department said on Sunday.
“While there could be a drizzle or very light rain on Monday, the main activity would take place on Tuesday. There would be more rain and thundershowers on Tuesday accompanied with gusty winds that might reach up to 50 km per hour,” said Kuldeep Srivastava, a senior scientist with the regional meteorological centre in New Delhi.
The rain and thundershower is expected to bring down the maximum temperature to around 34 degrees Celsius on Tuesday. The minimum temperature would also drop by two to three degrees, Met officials said.
On Sunday, while the maximum temperature was 36.2 degrees Celsius, which was three degrees below normal, the minimum temperature was recorded to be 26.5 degrees Celsius, which was two degrees above normal.
Other states such as Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and NCR states are likely to be hit by thunderstorm, hail and squall with wind speed reaching up to 50 km per hour on Monday and Tuesday, Met officials said. Dust storms could hit Rajasthan once again Tuesday.
Haryana education minister Ram Bilas Sharma on Sunday announced that all private and government schools in the region will remain shut on May 7 and 8.
The National Disaster Management Authority has also issued alerts on Sunday about the approaching storms in northwest Indian states.
The alert comes four days after a dust storm hit Delhi and other parts of north India leaving a trail of devastation on May 2. More than 120 people were killed in five states in Wednesday’s storms. The majority of deaths and damage were reported from Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.
Met officials attributed the approaching rain and thunderstorm to a western disturbance and cyclonic circulation that are likely to affect the northwest India between May 6 and May 9.
“While a western disturbance would hit the western Himalayas and the plains of north India, a cyclonic circulation has also developed over northeast Rajasthan. These systems would trigger rain and thunderstorms across north India and Delhi-ncr,” said Srivastava.
Private weather forecasting agencies have warned that the intensity of the thunderstorm and dust storm over northwest India could be as devastating as its predecessor that had hit on May 2. “The setup for these storms looks similar to that of the deadly thunderstorms of Wednesday and Wednesday night,” Dave Houk, a senior meteorologist with the Us-based weather forecasting agency Accuweather, was quoted on the company’s website.
Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) scientists said that it is unlikely as the intensity is likely to be less this time.
“We are expecting some rain and thunderstorm activities over northwest India. However, prevailing meteorological conditions don’t suggest that the intensity of these storms would be similar to the one that had hit on May 2,” said M Mohapatra, head of weather services at IMD.