IMD issues an orange alert, and Delhi braces for heavy rainfall and hail.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the weather station at Safdarjung, considered representative of Delhi, received only 0.8mm of rain between 8.30 am and 5.30 pm. Palam and Ayanagar received 30.4mm and 39.6mm of rain and hail, respectively, during the same time period.

According to IMD authorities in Chandigarh, Gurugram received 48mm of rain in a 24-hour period ending at 8.30 a.m. on March 19. Although certain city regions saw rain and hail storms in the afternoon and evening, the IMD recorded only trace rain after 8.30 a.m. Notwithstanding the rain, flight operations at Indira Gandhi International Airport remained unaffected.  

The intensity of the rain was forecast to intensify on March 20, prompting IMD to issue an orange alert signal for the national capital. An orange alert is a warning for the authorities to be prepared for emergency situations that can happen as a result of weather conditions. Whereas the yellow alert is issued when the weather is likely to change and people should be more cautious.

According to IMD scientist Kuldeep Srivastava, the city might see gusty gusts of up to 40km/hr and hail in certain locations, and the western disturbance was developing, with a larger probability of the entire capital being blanketed by thunderclouds.

According to Kuldeep Srivastava, the western disturbance was paired with an induced cyclonic circulation that was emerging in the area, resulting in the production of thunderclouds. Due to the rain, Delhi had a high temperature of 28°C, three degrees below average, and a lowest temperature of 15.4°C, one degree below normal.

For the second day in succession, several sections in Gurugram were flooded, with Narsinghpur, Pataudi Road, and Atul Kataria Chowk being particularly hard hit. Waterlogging was also observed on the NH-48 service road at Narsinghpur – a recurrent black spot during the monsoon season.

According to the IMD forecast, Delhi will be having a high temperature of approximately 26°C on March 20, with a low temperature of around 16°C. While drizzle to very light rain may fall in Delhi on March 21, the highest rain activity during this western disturbance is likely to occur on March 20.

In terms of air quality, Delhi’s pollution levels remained moderate, with a little improvement from an AQI value of 188 on March 18 to 184 on March 19. Predictions indicate that the AQI will stay moderate for the next two days owing to rain and high winds.