New Delhi, March 14 The national capital region on Saturday witnessed heavy hailstorm and rains, with the weather office predicting light rains in the evening.
The sky turned dark in the afternoon with the wind speed reaching 30-40 kmph in the national capital, the IMD said.
There will be light rains in the evening as well, the IMD added.
With the sudden heavy rains, several parts of the city were waterlogged, affecting the flow of traffic.
"Traffic is affected at Mahadev Chowhk, Bawana, the carriageway from Azadpur Flyover towards Fruit Mandi due to waterlogging near Panchwathi Colony, Anand Parbat, Boulevard Road, Kashmiri Gate, Rohtak Road at Punjabi Bagh, Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Marg and Chhata Rail due to waterlogging," the Delhi traffic police said.
According to the Skymet, the Western Disturbance prevailing in north India has brought rain, hail and thunderstorm.
"Since March 3, the national capital has been receiving on and off rains. These rains have been occurring due to the region being approached by successive Western Disturbances," the Skymet said.
However, it says these will be the last rains now and the temperature will rise.
"The chances of moderate showers are almost over as the Western Disturbance is moving away eastwards. Moreover, the trough which was extending from Punjab to Bihar has also shifted northwards over foothills of Uttar Pradesh. The weather of Delhi-NCR will start clearing up, Sunday onward," the skymet added.
On the contrary, it says clear sky, bright sunshine and soaring temperatures will be witnessed.
"In fact, since the last many days, day temperatures are below normal by two to three degrees over Delhi and NCR. Moreover, by March 20, we expect Delhi to witness maximum temperatures above 30 degree Celsius. By the end of March, the temperatures of Delhi and NCR may remain between the lower 30s and mid-30s," the Skymet added.
( With inputs from IANS )