Delhi weather: rain brings respite from sweltering heat

Delhiites received a much-needed respite from the sweltering heat on Thursday with a spell of rain in parts of Delhi. Strong dust-raising winds also swept through the national capital.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said similar conditions are expected to prevail in the capital over the next two to three days and no heatwave is predicted until May 30.

Under the influence of a western disturbance active over the western Himalayan region, intermittent rains are predicted over northwest India, including the national capital and its surrounding areas, over the next two to three days, according to the IMD.

A heatwave scorched parts of Delhi on Monday and Tuesday, with many weather stations recording maximum temperatures above 45 degrees Celsius.

The heatwave pushed the peak power demand in Delhi to 6,916 MW on Tuesday, the highest so far this season, officials said.

The city had recorded a peak power demand of 7,695 MW last summer and it might reach 8,100 MW this year, they said.

The threshold for a heatwave is met when the maximum temperature of a station reaches at least 40 degrees Celsius in the plains, 37 degrees Celsius in the coastal areas, and 30 degrees Celsius in the hilly regions, and the departure from normal is at least 4.5 degrees.