Rain red alert in parts of Delhi amid downpour, airlines issue advisories
In addition to rain and thunderstorms, the India Meteorological Department has also forecast hail in parts of Delhi and its adjoining NCR.
Parts of Delhi were placed under a red alert for heavy rain on Tuesday as intense showers lashed the city, prompting airlines to issue travel advisories. The downpour brought a sharp dip in temperatures, deepening the cold spell.
The minimum temperature today stood at 8 degrees Celsius, while the maximum is expected to hover at around 23 degrees.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has also forecast thunderstorms and hail across the Delhi-NCR region.
In its advisory, IndiGo said bad weather in Delhi had disrupted flight schedules, adding that it was closely monitoring conditions and advised travellers to check their flight status before leaving their homes.
Akasa Air said severe weather in Delhi had affected some flights across its network.
On its part, SpiceJet said heavy rain in Delhi could impact all arrivals and departures.
Earlier in the day, the IMD said the forecast in Delhi-NCR was due to an intense Western Disturbance that is likely to cause light to moderate rain and snowfall across many parts of the western Himalayan region until Wednesday, with isolated heavy rain or snowfall and possible hailstorms on Tuesday.
The weather bureau also warned of thunderstorms, lightning and hail in Delhi-NCR, with winds expected to reach 40–50 kmph and gusts up to 60 kmph on Tuesday.
On Monday, Republic Day celebrations across north India took place under chilly conditions, with minimum temperatures dropping sharply.
In Delhi, the day began with clear skies and colder weather. Safdarjung, the city’s base weather station, recorded a minimum temperature of 4.2 degrees Celsius, more than two degrees lower than the previous day, while Ayanagar was the coldest at 3.6 degrees.
The capital also logged a maximum temperature of 23.2 degrees, which was 1.1 degrees above normal and nearly five degrees higher than a day earlier.
Despite the cold snap, no rainfall was recorded at any of the weather stations on Monday, with clear and stable conditions prevailing throughout the day.
Meanwhile, after a brief spell of clean air, pollution levels have worsened again, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) at 281 as of 7.30 am on Tuesday, under the ‘poor’ category.
The AQI on Monday stood at 241, also under the poor category.