Heatwave Update: Delhi, Noida Get Rain Relief Amid Heatwave, IMD Predicts More Showers For THESE Areas

A much-needed respite from the scorching heatwave was received by parts of Delhi and Noida through light rainfall on Thursday morning, June 20. Predictions for light to moderate intensity rain and winds have been made by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) for various parts of Delhi-NCR and surrounding regions on Thursday.

According to the latest update issued by the IMD, rainfall is expected within the next two hours in North Delhi, North-East Delhi, North-West Delhi, West Delhi, and Central Delhi.

Taking to the X platform (formerly Twitter) IMD wrote that "light to moderate intensity rain and winds with a speed of 20-30 Km/h would occur over and adjoining areas of a few places in North Delhi, North-East Delhi, North-West Delhi, West Delhi, Central-Delhi, NCR (Loni Dehat, Hindon AF Station, Bahadurgarh)." Live updates on weather and heatwaves in India can be followed.

Rainfall during the next two hours has also been predicted for Manesar, Ballabhgarh, Sonipat, Kharkhoda, Mattanhail, Jhajjar, Farukhnagar, Sohana, and Palwal in Haryana, and for Baraut, Bagpat, Meerut, Khekra, Modinagar, Kithor, Pilakhua, Hapur, Gulaoti, Sikandrabad, and Bulandshahar in Uttar Pradesh.

On Wednesday, swathes of northern and eastern India remained in the grip of a punishingly long heatwave, which increased heat stroke casualties and prompted the Centre to issue an advisory to hospitals to set up special units for such patients. According to the IMD, a western disturbance may provide much-needed, though only marginal, relief over the next few days.

Conditions have also become favourable for the further advancement of the Monsoon, which had made no significant progress between June 12 and 18, thereby extending the wait for rains in north India, which is reeling from the sweltering heat. Maximum temperatures ranging from 43 to 45 degrees Celsius were recorded in many parts of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and northern Rajasthan, according to the IMD.

In the national capital, a spike in cases of heat stroke and heat exhaustion, along with several deaths over the last two days, has been reported by hospitals.