IMD forecasts light rain, thunder in Delhi; monsoon fury hits Rajasthan

Business Standard

12 hours ago

Delhi experienced a pleasant start to Thursday with light rainfall in parts of the city. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has not issued any weather warnings for Delhi-NCR, forecasting partly cloudy skies with very light to light rain, accompanied by occasional thunderstorms and lightning.
The maximum temperature is expected to range between 36 to 38 degrees Celsius, while the minimum will likely stay between 26 to 28 degrees Celsius. No heatwave conditions are predicted.
Rainfall has also improved the capital's air quality. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) reported the Air Quality Index (AQI) at 70 at 10 am on July 3, placing it in the 'satisfactory' category.
No major weather alerts for Delhi this week
The IMD's weekly outlook suggests no major alerts for the capital region. Light to very light rain, along with intermittent thunderstorms, is likely in the coming days. Daytime temperatures are expected to remain below seasonal averages, and no heatwave is forecast during the period.
Heavy rains wreak havoc in Rajasthan
Monsoon showers battered parts of Rajasthan on Wednesday, causing structural damage and flooding. A portion of the ceiling at the historic Ajmer Dargah collapsed during the downpour, although no injuries were reported due to prior evacuation of the area.
The incident sparked outrage among devotees and fresh criticism of the Dargah Committee (DC), an autonomous body under the Union Ministry of Minority Affairs. Religious leaders and visitors accused the committee of ignoring warnings and failing to conduct essential audits and repairs.
Kota region floods, dams opened
In the Kota region, heavy rains flooded several residential areas and public buildings. Authorities opened eight gates of the Kota barrage in response to rising water levels, according to a PTI report.
In Modak town, floodwaters entered hospitals, schools, and ATMs. Several neighbourhoods in Kota city, including the Khade Ganesh Temple area, were submerged after a night of intense rainfall.
The local Meteorological Department reported heavy to moderate rain across Kota, Bundi, Jhalawar, and Baran districts from Tuesday noon to late Wednesday. Officials said five gates of the Kota barrage were opened at 8:30 am, releasing 75,000 cusecs of water. With rising levels in the Gandhi Sagar and Jawahar Sagar dams, three more gates were opened later, raising the total outflow to 140,000 cusecs.
IMD warns of heavy rain in central, northern India
The IMD has forecast above-normal rainfall across central India, Uttarakhand, and Haryana in July. The agency warned that this could lead to localised flooding, especially with July typically accounting for over a third of India's monsoon season rainfall.
Conversely, below-normal rainfall is expected in the northeast, Bihar, eastern India, and parts of the southern peninsula. Any disruption in July or August could affect standing kharif crops, which are highly dependent on seasonal rainfall.