Humid day in Delhi as IMD forecasts rain, heavy downpours in many states

Delhi's heat index touched 48 degrees Celsius on Thursday as humidity spiked; scattered rains are likely in Delhi, while IMD issues 'yellow alert' for Ghaziabad

Active monsoon conditions will persist in the capital over the next four to five days, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Friday. The city currently has cloudy skies with light rain in the morning. Showers are likely at night and early morning, with moderate rainfall expected later in the week.

 

Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 35.4 degrees Celsius, one degree above normal, while minimum temperatures ranged between 24 degrees Celsius and 26 degrees Celsius. High humidity, which hovered between 71 and 97 per cent, pushed the heat index to a sweltering 48 degrees Celsius in the afternoon. Even by 5.30 pm, it was still 44.6 degrees Celsius, IMD data showed.

 

Although Safdarjung, Delhi’s base weather station, registered no rainfall between 8.30 am and 5.30 pm on Thursday (August 28), other pockets saw patchy showers. Pitampura in northwest Delhi recorded 26.5 mm of rain and Ridge in north Delhi logged 37.8 mm. Moderate showers were reported from parts of north and northwest Delhi, but much of the city experienced hot and humid conditions. 

 

Delhi’s air quality also slipped into the ‘moderate’ category, with the 24-hour average AQI standing at 113.

Jammu schools closed till Aug 30 after heavy rains

In Jammu and Kashmir, all schools in the Jammu region will remain closed till 30 August due to heavy rainfall and flooding. This is the third consecutive day of closure as the government prioritises the safety of students and staff. Director of School Education Dr Naseem Javaid Chowdhary has advised institutions to explore online classes for senior students where possible. 

 

Local authorities reported 45 rain-related deaths, most of them from a landslide on the Vaishno Devi pilgrimage route. Relief operations have gained momentum following a brief respite in showers.

Rainfall to continue this week across India

Monsoon remains strong across the country, with the IMD forecasting heavy to very heavy rainfall in several regions of the country this week. Telangana, Kerala, Karnataka and Coastal Andhra are likely to see intense showers, while Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha, Bihar, Jharkhand and Odisha will also receive significant rainfall. 

 

In western India, Gujarat, Konkan, Goa and Madhya Maharashtra are expected to experience widespread rain, with very heavy spells in the Western Ghats. Northwest states, including Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, are likely to face heavy showers, while the north-east, including Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya, is also set for wet conditions.