Residents of Delhi woke up to cloudy skies, rain and thunderstorms on Sunday, bringing a slight dip in temperatures after several unusually warm days in the national capital. The change in weather had earlier been predicted by the India Meteorological Department.
According to weather updates, the temperature in Delhi was around 20°C at 7 am, accompanied by rainfall and thunderstorm activity. Forecasts suggested that very light rain or drizzle along with lightning could occur during the morning and early afternoon hours, with surface winds blowing at 30–40 kmph and gusting up to 50 kmph.
Weather forecasts also indicated that rain showers may appear at intervals throughout the day. While the early morning rain was expected to ease after around 8 am, additional spells of showers were likely later in the day, particularly during the late morning and evening hours.
The weather department stated that maximum temperatures in Delhi may drop by 3–5°C on Sunday due to cloud cover and rainfall. However, temperatures are expected to gradually rise again by 3–5°C over the coming days, with readings likely to remain within the normal to slightly above-normal range during the next week. The capital is also expected to witness cloudy skies and relatively pleasant conditions, with another round of light rain and thunderstorms possible around March 18.
The recent showers come after the city experienced one of its hottest days of the year earlier this week, when the maximum temperature reached 36.8°C, around 8.4°C above the seasonal average. Earlier, the mercury had also touched 35.7°C, marking the earliest instance in nearly 15 years that temperatures crossed the 35°C mark in March.
Meanwhile, the weather change is part of a broader system affecting northwest India. The IMD has forecast a series of thunderstorms, gusty winds and rainfall across several parts of the region between March 15 and March 19, with lightning and winds reaching speeds of 30–50 kmph expected in multiple states during this period.