The capital received 101.9 mm of rainfall, as per the Safdarjung observatory. (Photo: Tashi Tobgyal)
Delhi recorded the highest amount of rain in a single March day on Saturday, as hail, thunder, and heavy rain lashed Delhi-NCR. At Safdarjung, observations from where are considered the official figures for Delhi, 101.9 mm of rain was recorded.
The city witnessed low visibility as a thick cloud cover hung close to the surface, and waterlogging was seen in several areas. Before this, the highest rainfall on a single March day — 97.4 mm — was recorded in 2015.
Hailstrom in Delhi on Saturday.
Saturday’s minimum temperature was 16.4 degrees Celsius, a degree below normal, while the maximum temperature was 24.7 degrees Celsius, five degrees below normal. The maximum humidity recorded was 98% and minimum was 67%.
Thundershowers were also recorded Saturday in Chandigarh, Karnal in Haryana, Shimla in Himachal Pradesh, and across the cities of eastern and western UP.
“Due to westerly trough in mid-tropospheric levels and moist easterlies from the Bay of Bengal, moderate to severe thunderstorm activity taking place over Haryana, Delhi, Jharkhand, north Chhattisgarh and Bihar,” read a tweet by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) .
Hailstrom in Delhi on Saturday.
“The upper level features are also conducive for development of thunderstorms and hailstorms,” said the IMD in a release.
Dehradun and Nainital in Uttarakhand also witnessed hailstorms Saturday. The size of a hailstone was an average of 1 cm in diameter.
“In the atmosphere, the freezing point varies, sometimes reducing by 2-3 degrees, which leads to hail. This usually happens from February-April,” said an IMD official.
Hailstrom in Delhi on Saturday.
The cyclonic disturbance will move further eastwards and result in thunder and hailstorms in Bihar, Jharkhand, north Chhattisgarh, Sikkim and West Bengal till Sunday, said the IMD. “It is probable that Bihar may also see hailstorms in the coming days,” said an official.
The western disturbances, a cyclonic circulation, extending up to the troposphere and moving eastwards from Pakistan, is responsible for the storms, the IMD said.
Hailstrom in Delhi on Saturday.
Both clear skies and fog are expected on Sunday and Monday in Delhi-NCR. Officials said an increase in temperature is expected over the next few days, with the maximum temperature set to touch 30 degree Celsius on March 18.