More rains likely in Delhi, N. India

By OUR CORRESPONDENT

New Delhi, May 21: The meteorological department has predicted thundersquall along with hailstorm over Delhi and its adjoining areas. A similar condition will also prevail over Uttrakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Sikkim.

Delhi, which was lashed by incessant rain since Tuesday night, is expected to receive more rain in the next 24 hours.

According to Indian meteorological department (IMD), this change in the weather in May is not unusual and is a result of cyclonic circulation prevailing over Pakistan and adjoining Punjab and North Rajasthan areas.

Down south, the prevailing heatwave condition especially over the coastal Andhra Pradesh is likely to abate from Thursday onwards. The weathermen has also predicted that the North-East states are likely to receive isolated heavy rainfall in the coming days.

The weathermen said that the condition in the north-western region is likely to prevail for the next 24 hours, after which it will subside. Also, there is a likelihood of a fresh western disturbance affecting western Himalayan region and adjoining plains of north-west India from Thursday onwards. Decrease in rainfall activity over Lakshadweep, Kerala and coastal Karnataka has also been predicted.

Meanwhile, showers in the capital managed to break the record of heaviest rainfall on a single day in the month of May in the last five years. The rain gauges of the weather office measured 36.9 mm of rainfall during past 24 hours.

The earlier record was set in 2002, when Delhi received 129 mm of rain on a single day. The showers, which began at around 11 pm on Wednesday night, continued all night and brought down the minimum temperature to 20.3ºC from yesterday’s 20.8ºC. Wednesday’s minimum temperature was the second lowest in the month of May in the past five years.

The capital has been receiving rainfall from the past four days.

The Met office has also predicted isolated rain or thundershowers over Jammu and Kashmir region, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab in the next 24 hours and then scattered rainfall in the region.