New Delhi, June 15 (IANS) Residents across Delhi-NCR woke up to a refreshing Monday morning as light rain showers swept through several parts of the region, including areas around the Indira Gandhi International Airport. The rainfall brought temporary relief from the humid conditions that had prevailed over the past few days.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), more rainfall activity is likely during the day, with thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds expected in the afternoon and evening. The weather department has forecast very light to light rain accompanied by strong surface winds, which could provide further respite from the summer heat.

The IMD said thunderstorms and gusty winds reaching speeds of 40-50 kmph are likely to occur at isolated places. Similar weather conditions are expected to persist into the evening.

For Monday, the maximum temperature is likely to hover around 39 degrees Celsius, while the minimum temperature is expected to remain near 26 degrees Celsius. Humidity levels are forecast to stay around 65 per cent, contributing to muggy conditions despite the rainfall.

Weather data from Sunday showed that maximum temperatures recorded at major monitoring stations in Delhi ranged between 38.4 degrees Celsius and 39.1 degrees Celsius. The Ridge area recorded the highest temperature at 39.1 degrees Celsius, which was 1.2 degrees above the seasonal average. Lodi Road and Palam registered maximum temperatures of 38.7 degrees Celsius and 38.6 degrees Celsius, respectively. Ayanagar was the coolest location, recording 38.4 degrees Celsius, around 3.1 degrees below normal.

The national capital recorded a maximum temperature of 38.5 degrees Celsius on Sunday, which was 1.4 degrees below the seasonal average, according to the IMD.

The weather department has indicated that conditions are likely to improve further from June 16 onwards. A partly cloudy sky is expected on Tuesday, with the possibility of thunderstorms and lightning at isolated places.

While temperatures may rise slightly to around 40 degrees Celsius, intermittent cloud cover and rain activity are expected to prevent any sharp increase in heat levels.

–IANS

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