Thunderstorms and rain on Thursday evening caused temperatures in Delhi-NCR to fall sharply by up to 15 degrees Celsius in some areas. Cooling zones set up by the Delhi government continue to offer relief to commuters and residents. The India Meteorological Department forecasts continued thunderstorm activity through May 31.
Delhi-NCR recorded a sharp fall in temperatures after thunderstorms, rain and strong winds brought respite from days of punishing heat on Thursday evening. Rainfall reached nearly 20 mm in parts of Ghaziabad and Gurgaon, while Safdarjung recorded 3.3 mm. Wind speeds hit up to 61 kmph at Palam.
Maximum temperatures had ranged between 42-45 degrees Celsius in recent days. The IMD said heatwave conditions over large parts of Northwest India are likely to abate significantly from Thursday onward, with maximum temperatures expected to fall by 8-10 degrees Celsius till May 30.
Fifteen cooling zones equipped with coolers, mist sprayers and seating are operational across Delhi. These centres host 700-800 visitors daily on average, with one near Jama Masjid seeing about 1,000 visitors. The zones maintain temperatures 12-13 degrees Celsius lower than outside.
