Strong winds, rains cool down Delhi, mercury drops to 31.5 Deg C

New Delhi, May 5 (UNI) Strong Northeasterly winds and a short burst of heavy rains today brought about a sudden cool air to the atmosphere in Delhi, giving tremendous relief from the Summer heat and the rising mercury.

Blowing at a speed of 72 km per hour, the North Easterlies, which suddenly hit the capital at around 1510 hours, were followed by a brief spell of heavy rains.

Though the winds and the rain lasted only for a brief while, they neverthless led to a sharp fall in day temperatures in Delhi, from 39 degrees Celsius, to 31.5 degrees C, thus cooling the surroundings.

The maximum of 31.5 degrees C was nearly eight degrees below normal.

The heavy squall, accompanied by diststorms, led to uprooting of trees in several areas of Delhi.

The winds and rain, which followed a heavily overcast sky in Delhi since the afternoon, continued the trend of near or below normal temperatures this week, which weathermen attribute to influence of an upper air circulation over Uttar Pradesh, which has set off cool Easterlies in Delhi in the last few days.

The respite from heat could, however, be short lived with the weathermen saying that influence of the upper air circulation was on the wane.

Consequently, the beginning of the next week could, however, witness a return of the heat wave with the weathermen forecasting a rise in day temperatures in plains of Northwest India in the next two to three days.

''Current meteorological analysis suggests that gradual rise in day temperatures is likely over plains of Northwest India, during the next two to three days,''the weather office said.

The met office has forecast a mainly clear sky in Delhi during the next 24 hours with thundery activity towards evening.

They have also forecast a rise in maximum temperature to 40 degrees C tomorrow.

UNI