Moderate rains bring chill to Delhi air

New Delhi, Mar 12 (UNI) The hot and sunny weather of the past week today gave way to a wet and chilly weather in the capital as moderate to heavy rains lashed Delhi since last night, plummeting the mercury by several degrees.

The rainfall, coupled with cold Southwesterly winds, led to a sharp drop in maximum temperature in Delhi to 21.3 Degrees Celsius, nine degrees below normal. The drastic fall in mercury, from 28.7 Degree Celsius yesterday, lent a chill to the air, after nearly a week of hot and sunny weather during the post-Holi period.

The showers, which hit Delhi last night, followed an overcast sky since yesterday morning. While light to moderate rains were recorded till early this morning, Delhi was again lashed by a short burst of heavy rains in the afternoon.

Over 40 mm of rainfall was recorded since last night - while 20 mm of rainfall was recorded till 0830 hours, over 20 mm was recorded between 0830 hours and 1630 hours today.

The cool weather in Delhi and other parts of North-West India could prevail in the next couple of days with the weatherman forecasting more rain and thundershowers in plains of North-West India, including Delhi, in the next 24 hours with some of them likely to be accompanied by hailstorms.

The Met office has forecast a generally cloudy sky in Delhi with rain and thundershowers during the next 24 hours. One or two spells of rain could also be accompanied by hailstorms and thundersqualls, it said.

UNI