Delhi braces for more rain, thunderstorms today after record May downpour kills 5 | Check IMD forecast

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert for Delhi, forecasting moderate to heavy rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms across the national capital region on Saturday, May 3. Parts of the region are also likely to see generally cloudy skies, very light to light rain, and strong surface winds gusting up to 40 kmph.

The weather office has predicted a cloudy sky with the possibility of rain or thunderstorms in the national capital over the coming week, with the maximum and minimum temperatures expected to settle at 34 and 21 degrees Celsius.

Also Read | Unpredicted storms leave 5 dead in Delhi

The warning comes on the heels of a record-breaking spell of rain on Friday morning, with Safdarjung — the city’s primary weather station — logging 77 mm of rain in just six hours between 2:30am and 8:30am. This was the second-highest 24-hour May rainfall recorded in Delhi since 1901. The highest was 119.3 mm in May 2021.

The IMD had issued a red alert, urging people to remain extremely vigilant and take necessary precautions.

The heavy rain wreaked havoc across the national capital. A house collapse in Najafgarh killed a woman and her three young children after a tree fell on their home during the storm. The deceased were identified as Jyoti (26), Aryan (7), Rishabh (5), and Priyansh (7 months). Her husband sustained minor injuries.

Also Read | 500+flight delays in peak hrs throw ops out of gear at IGI airport in Delhi

In another tragedy, a 25-year-old construction worker was electrocuted in Green Park after he, in an attempt to take cover from the storm, accidentally touched an iron gate charged by a broken overhead wire during the storm.

At the Indira Gandhi International Airport, flight operations were affected, with over 500 flights delayed and three diverted due to poor visibility and high winds.

On Friday, the maximum temperature settled at 29.1 degrees Celsius, 10.2 notches below the normal and the lowest for the month in the last two years.

According to IMD data, the lowest maximum temperature in May last year was 35.5 degrees Celsius, while in 2023 it was 26.1 degrees Celsius, which until now had been the lowest in many years.

Also Read | Pre-monsoon time to blame: IMD after mild warning fails in Delhi

The minimum temperature on Friday was recorded at 18.5 degrees Celsius, 6.5 notches below the normal. The relative humidity oscillated between 100 per cent and 60 per cent.

Visuals from several areas showed uprooted trees and people stuck in waterlogged roads. Videos surfaced on social media which showed half-submerged vehicles wading though Minto Road.

Major Somnath Marg in RK Puram, Minto Road and Khanpur were particularly affected in the rain.