There was sudden heavy rain in the national capital, which brought relief from the heat. Pre-monsoon rains were accompanied by strong winds, causing a drop in temperatures in Delhi.

The scorching afternoon sun was followed by a dust storm in the evening, when the temperature reached around 35 degrees Celsius.

“Dust storm with rain and strong winds with speed reaching 40 to 70 km per hour is very likely over entire Delhi and adjoining areas of NCR within the next 2 hours,” the weather department said.

The minimum temperature in Delhi was recorded at 22.6 degrees Celsius, which is normal for this time of the year and the maximum temperature is likely to be around 38 degrees Celsius.

Yesterday, the regional meteorological department said that light to moderate intensity rain is likely over Delhi-NCR.

Earlier, the India Meteorological Department said on Sunday that the temperature in Delhi is expected to be around 38 degrees Celsius in the coming 2-3 days and there is also a possibility of light rain on Monday.

Yesterday the temperature in Delhi remained above 30 degrees, cold wind blew in the evening but there was no rain.

The weather office has said that there is a possibility of heat wave for four to eight days in different parts of the country in April, whereas generally there is a possibility of heat wave for one to three days. The heat wave is likely to last for ten to 20 days compared to the usual four to eight days in the entire April-June period. The extreme heat may strain power grids and result in water shortages in parts of India.

Global weather agencies including IMD are also expecting La Nina conditions to develop towards the end of the year.

El Nino conditions – periodic warming of surface waters in the central Pacific Ocean – are associated with weak monsoon winds and dry conditions in India. La Niña conditions – the opposite of El Niño – cause abundant rainfall during the monsoon season.

In a mid-April update, the IMD said India will see above normal cumulative rainfall in the 2024 monsoon season, with La Nina conditions expected to be the major factor, expected to set in by August-September.

– With inputs from PTI, ANI