Squall hits parts of Delhi, light rains bring relief from sweltering heat

Earlier in the day, the mercury continued to hover near the 40 degrees Celsius-mark in most parts of the city. The Safdarjung Observatory, which provides representative figures for the city, recorded a maximum of 40.7 degrees Celsius, four notches more than normal.

A squall barrelled through parts of the national capital as light rains brought relief from the stifling heat on Monday.  The weather department said winds gusting up to 68 kilometers per hour swept across the city, uprooting trees at some places. The capital recorded 3.2 mm rainfall in the evening.  Earlier in the day, the mercury continued to hover near the 40 degrees Celsius-mark in most parts of the city.

The Safdarjung Observatory, which provides representative figures for the city, recorded a maximum of 40.7 degrees Celsius, four notches more than normal. Humidity levels oscillated between 41 per cent and 78 per cent.

The weather stations at Palam, Najafgarh, Ayanagar, and Pusa recorded the maximum temperature between 40 degrees Celsius and 44 degrees Celsius. The Meteorological (MeT) Department has forecast light rains and partly cloudy skies over the next four to five days.  On Thursday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) declared the onset of monsoon in the national capital, two days earlier than the usual date of June 27.

However, Mahesh Palawat of Skymet Weather, a private weather forecasting service, the rains would remain subdued for now and dry weather would prevail for some days..