Thunderstorms accompanied by rain, lightning and gusty winds swept across Delhi-NCR on Thursday afternoon as respite from severe heat continued. With the fresh spell of rain,various parts of the Capital saw a significant drop in temperature, ranging from 9 degrees Celsius to up to 19 degrees Celsius.
According to the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) weather bulletin, there have been several systems affecting northwest India, including a Western Disturbance over north Pakistan, an induced cyclonic circulation over central Pakistan, and upper-air cyclonic circulations over north Haryana and central Uttar Pradesh. All these weather systems create favourable conditions for thunderstorms to occur, officials said.
In its weather bulletin, the IMD had earlier in the day issued a red alert for the Capital, warning of hail and potentially damaging squally winds of up to 100 kmph in several parts of the Capital. As storm activity intensified over the city and adjoining NCR areas, the weather office issued successive alerts. This was reduced later in the evening to orange alert.
Wind speeds strengthened across the Capital through the afternoon. Pitampura recorded a maximum wind speed of 56 kmph, followed by Pragati Maidan at 52 kmph, Pusa at 50 kmph, Palam at 48 kmph and Mehrauli at 46 kmph. Safdarjung, Delhi’s base weather station, recorded winds of 36 kmph.
VIDEO | Rain lashes Delhi-NCR, bringing respite from the scorching heat. Visuals from Malviya Nagar.
IMD officials said wind speeds reached as high as 93 kmph in Gautam Buddha Nagar.
According to IMD observations until 2.30 pm, Ayanagar received 14.2 mm of rainfall, the highest among city stations, followed by Palam with 5.8 mm, Mayur Vihar with 2.5 mm and Najafgarh with 1.5 mm.
The thunderstorms and rain, as a result brought a sharp drop in temperatures across Delhi-NCR in a span of about two hours. According to IMD data, Ayanagar recorded the steepest fall, with temperatures plunging from 41.7 degrees Celsius before the storm to 22.7 degrees Celsius afterwards — a drop of 19 degrees.
Safdarjung, Delhi based station, saw a temperature drop of nine degrees Celsius from 40 to 31 degrees Celsius.
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Mayur Vihar witnessed a fall of 14.9 degrees, Pushp Vihar 14.8 degrees, the Sports Complex station 14.6 degrees and Mungeshpur 14.4 degrees. In NCR, Gurgaon recorded a temperature drop of 15.5 degrees, from 38.4 degrees Celsius to 22.9 degrees Celsius, while Hindon saw temperatures fall by 15.2 degrees. The temperatures in Gautam Buddha Nagar fell by 15.7 degrees Celsius (from 37.3 to 21.6 degrees).
Earlier, in its district-level alerts issued at 2.45 pm and valid till 5.45 pm, the IMD placed all districts of Delhi under the red category, forecasting light to moderate rainfall accompanied by moderate to severe thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds of 50-60 kmph, gusting up to 70 kmph.
Sophiya Mathew is a Correspondent at The Indian Express, based in New Delhi. She joined the Delhi bureau in 2024, and has specialization in Integrated Multimedia Journalism from the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), Chennai.
Professional Background
Core Beats: Her reporting is primarily focused on the Environment and Education.
Specialization: She has gained recognition for her ground-level reporting on the Yamuna floodplains and the socio-economic challenges faced by those living on its banks. She also focuses on the disparities in Delhi's education system, ranging from elite private schools to government institutions and refugee education.
Recent Notable Articles (December 2025)
Her recent work has been heavily centered on Delhi's severe winter pollution crisis and the government's regulatory responses:
1. The Air Pollution Crisis
"A tale of two cities: Delhi govt schools choke in bad air, private classrooms set up air filters" (Dec 20, 2025): A high-impact feature contrasting the "Clean Air Bubbles" in elite schools with the reality of government school students who are exposed to an equivalent of 17 cigarettes a day due to outdoor exposure.
"Delhi sees season's worst air day, second worst December AQI in nearly a decade" (Dec 15, 2025): An analytical report on the meteorological patterns trapping pollutants in the NCR.
"Delhi bans non-BS VI vehicles from outside: Why curbing vehicular pollution is key" (Dec 17, 2025): Explaining the science behind targeting specific vehicle vintages to lower particulate matter.
2. Enforcement & Regulations
"No fuel at pumps in Delhi without valid PUC certificate from December 18" (Dec 17, 2025): Breaking the news on the environment ministry's strict "No PUC, No Fuel" policy.
3. Education Policy
"Law to regulate school fee in Delhi risks becoming procedural, say parents" (Dec 13, 2025): Investigating the loopholes in the new Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Bill, 2025.
"Monsoon Session: Private school fee regulation Bill cleared after four-hour debate" (Aug 9, 2025): Covering the legislative passage of the controversial fee hike regulation.
Signature Style
Sophiya is known for her observational depth. Her reporting often includes vivid details from school corridors, hospital waitlists, or the banks of the Yamuna to illustrate how policy failures affect the city's most vulnerable residents. She is a frequent expert guest on the 3 Things podcast, where she explains the complexities of Delhi’s environmental laws.
X (Twitter): @SophiyaMathew1 ... Read More
