Rainfall across several parts of Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) on Tuesday brought welcome relief from the hot and humid weather that had prevailed over the past few days. Light to moderate showers, accompanied by cloudy skies and gusty winds, were reported from various parts of Delhi as well as Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurugram and Faridabad.
The rain also caused minor disruptions, with reports of trees being uprooted in some parts of the capital. In East of Kailash, a large tree fell onto parked vehicles. Fire and police personnel reached the spot promptly, and no injuries were reported.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had earlier predicted light to moderate rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning over the region. As weather conditions intensified, the department upgraded its forecast and issued a red alert for Delhi.
Rainfall is also expected over several parts of Haryana, including Kaithal, Rohtak and Sonipat, along with districts in western Uttar Pradesh such as Saharanpur, Muzaffarnagar, Meerut and Bulandshahr over the next few hours.
WHAT TO EXPECT
The latest spell of rain brought weather conditions typical of the monsoon season, featuring light to moderate showers accompanied by occasional thunder and lightning.
Although widespread heavy rainfall is not expected, intermittent showers and mild winds are likely to provide relief from the prevailing humidity across Delhi-NCR.
The change in weather comes a day after the capital experienced uncomfortable conditions, with temperatures hovering around 38°C amid high humidity.
MONSOON PROVIDES RELIEF
The fresh spell of rain follows the arrival of the southwest monsoon in Delhi on July 2, five days later than its normal onset date of June 27.
The delayed onset ended an extended period of intense heat and humidity, bringing down temperatures and providing much-needed respite for residents.
In recent days, the monsoon has remained active across north India, although rainfall has occurred in short spells rather than continuous showers.
Earlier this week, several parts of the NCR witnessed heavy rain and thunderstorms, with temperatures dropping to nearly 30°C in some areas. Rainfall between 10 mm and 30 mm was recorded at various locations.
According to the IMD's outlook for July 2026, the country is likely to receive below-normal rainfall during the month, following one of the driest Junes in recent years, which recorded a significant rainfall deficit.
The weather department has also stated that conditions remain favourable for the further advance of the southwest monsoon into the remaining parts of the Arabian Sea, Rajasthan, Haryana and Punjab, allowing it to cover the entire country over the next two to three days.
This year's southwest monsoon has progressed more slowly than usual across northwestern India.
Since the onset of the monsoon, Delhi has experienced intermittent rainfall, helping improve air quality and providing relief from the intense summer heat that had pushed temperatures above 40°C in late June.
The IMD has forecast fairly widespread rainfall over Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi between July 7 and July 9.
Meteorologists say the current weather pattern is consistent with the typical behaviour of the southwest monsoon, in which convergence zones draw moisture from both the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, leading to cloud formation and rainfall across the northern plains.
Such systems generally produce brief but intense spells of rain followed by dry intervals, a characteristic feature of the Indian monsoon.
