Delhi Sees Rain, Thunderstorm Again, Airport Operations Impacted

Delhi and surrounding areas witnessed rain and thunderstorms on Sunday evening, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasting such weather till Tuesday.

Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport said flight operations were impacted, with FlightRadar24 pegging the average delay in departures at 40 minutes.

This morning, the sky remained partly cloudy as the minimum temperature settled at 27.2 degrees Celsius, 0.3 notch above the season's average.

The month of May has seen below-normal daytime temperatures, unprecedented frequent rains and the absence of heatwave conditions. The capital also received 188.9 mm of rainfall, the highest-ever rainfall recorded in the month of May. This is over 202 per cent more than the normal monthly average of 62.6 mm. In contrast, May 2024 saw just 0.4 mm of rain, which was 99 per cent below average, with not a single rainy day recorded.

The unusual weather is being attributed to the early arrival of the monsoon in Mumbai, which has had a ripple effect on weather systems in northern India, including Delhi. However, meteorologists have clarified that the monsoon has not yet arrived in the national Capital, even though conditions have turned significantly cooler and wetter.