Rain, hailstorm lash parts of Delhi-NCR
Residents in parts of Delhi woke up to the sound of hailstones hitting windows, even as sporadic rain continued in the national capital for the fourth consecutive day on Wednesday. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said parts of South Delhi reported a hailstorm at around 7:30 am. Dark clouds lowered visibility, and a short spell of heavy showers inundated major roads, affecting traffic movement.
"Traffic is affected in the carriageway from Azadpur towards Mukarba Chowk due to waterlogging at Panchwati red light. Kindly avoid the stretch," Delhi Traffic Police tweeted. More rain and hailstorms are predicted during the day.
The Safdarjung Observatory, which provides representative data for the city, recorded 6 mm rainfall between 8:30 am on Tuesday and 8:30 am on Wednesday. The weather stations at Palam and Lodhi Road gauged 4.2 mm and 10.4 mm, respectively. At Safdarjung, the minimum temperature settled at 13 degree Celsius, six notches more than normal, as a result of the cloud cover over the city.
The rains, under the influence of a strong western disturbance, come on the back of a "severe" cold wave that gripped Delhi in the run-up to the New Year. On Friday, the mercury had plummeted to 1.1 degree Celsius, lowest in 15 years for January, and dense fog lowered visibility to "zero" meters. Dense fog is expected to continue over the next two days.
