New Delhi, July 7 (IANS) A fresh spell of rain accompanied by thunderstorms lashed several parts of Delhi-NCR on Tuesday afternoon, providing much-needed relief from the intense heat and high humidity that had persisted over the past few days.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a ‘Yellow Alert’ for the national Capital and forecast light to moderate rainfall with thunderstorms at isolated places throughout the day. The weather department has also predicted that the rainy spell is likely to continue over the next few days.

Delhi began Tuesday on a warm and humid note, with the minimum temperature recorded at 30 degrees Celsius, which was 2.1 degrees above the seasonal average. According to the IMD, this was the highest minimum temperature recorded in the month of July since July 2, 2024, when the mercury had touched 30.7 degrees Celsius.

Despite the rainfall, humidity levels remained high. At 8.30 a.m., the IMD reported a relative humidity of 79 per cent, while the “feels-like” temperature reached 44.7 degrees Celsius, making conditions uncomfortable during the morning hours.

The showers brought weather conditions more typical of the monsoon season, with light to moderate rainfall, cloudy skies, and occasional thunder and lightning. Although no heavy rainfall has been forecast, intermittent showers and light winds are expected to provide continued relief from the sultry weather.

The IMD has also predicted rainfall in several neighbouring regions, including Kaithal, Rohtak, and Sonipat in Haryana, as well as Saharanpur, Muzaffarnagar, Meerut, Pilkhua, Hapur, and Bulandshahr in western Uttar Pradesh over the next few hours.

Earlier this week, several parts of Delhi-NCR received heavy rainfall and thunderstorms, with some areas recording between 10 mm and 30 mm of rain. The showers brought temperatures down to nearly 30 degrees Celsius in many locations.

According to the IMD, fairly widespread rainfall is likely across Delhi, Haryana, and Chandigarh between July 7 and July 9 as favourable monsoon conditions continue over North India. Moisture-laden winds from the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal are expected to support cloud formation and rainfall across the northern plains.

Meanwhile, Delhi’s air quality remained in the ‘moderate’ category on Tuesday morning. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the city’s Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 110 at 9 a.m. Despite forecasts of below-normal rainfall across the country this July, intermittent monsoon showers have continued to bring relief to residents of the national Capital.

–IANS

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