Very light rainfall in some parts of Delhi broke a month-long dry spell early on Wednesday. An India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast issued at 8.30 am said that light-intensity rain or a drizzle would occur over some parts of Delhi, including Palam, Safdarjung, Lodhi Road, Vasant Vihar, R K Puram and Vasant Kunj. Early on Wednesday morning, the IMD forecast had pointed to the likelihood of light to moderate intensity rainfall and gusty winds of around 30 to 50 kmph over parts of Delhi and NCR, including Noida, Greater Noida, Gurgaon, Faridabad and Ghaziabad. The Palam weather observatory received 0.2 mm of rainfall till 8.30 am, while the Safdarjung weather station recorded traces of rain. While partly cloudy skies are expected on Wednesday, the IMD forecast indicates that the day is likely to remain warm with a maximum temperature of around 31 degrees Celsius. The minimum temperature recorded early on Wednesday was 17.8 degrees Celsius, five degrees above the normal for this time of the year, and the highest minimum temperature that the city has seen so far this year. The rest of the week is likely to remain dry with a maximum temperature of 32 or 33 degrees Celsius and a minimum temperature of around 15 or 16 degrees. Delhi received no rainfall in February, marking a 100% deficit. IMD scientists have attributed the rainfall deficit in February to no western disturbances affecting the Delhi-NCR region in February. Rainfall early on Wednesday was on account of a western disturbance that lies over eastern Afghanistan. The western disturbance is likely to bring rainfall or snowfall to the western Himalayan region, along with rainfall and strong winds over Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh on March 1 and 2. According to the IMD, western disturbances are storms that originate in the Mediterranean Region and bring non-monsoon rainfall to northwest India.
