- Delhi experienced light rain early Friday, with Noida, Gurugram, and Faridabad also seeing sudden showers.
- The city woke up at 16°C, 0.5°C below normal, making it the wettest March in three years.
- The IMD issued a yellow alert, warning of thunderstorms, gusty winds, and pre-monsoon activit
The capital of India, Delhi, witnessed a spell of light rain early Friday morning as the Meteorological Department has issued a yellow alert in the wake of a gloomy sky. The adjoining areas, Noida, Gurugram, and Faridabad, also experienced sudden rain and cold showers, which brought relief from the spike in temperature in the month of March.
The city woke up at 16 degrees Celsius, 0.5 degrees below normal, on March 20, 2026, with a significant spell of rain and gusty winds, making it the wettest March in three years, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
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The IMD office has issued a yellow alert for the city, stating, “Generally cloudy skies, with a spell of very light to light rain accompanied by thunderstorm/lightning and strong surface winds of 30–40 kmph, gusting to 50 kmph, are likely in the morning."
In a yellow alert, caution should be taken by citizens for moderate to severe weather conditions that could cause disruption. Current March rainfall stands at 9.4 mm, approaching the standard 12.6 mm average. This marks the highest precipitation for the month since 2023, when the city recorded a significant 50.4 mm.
“The system is expected to intensify over central Pakistan and adjoining parts of Punjab and Haryana from Thursday, leading to further rainfall over the next two days,” meteorological expert Mahesh Palawat said, adding, “Current models suggest that weather conditions on March 20 are likely to be more intense,” as reported by PTI.
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Expect pre-monsoon activity, including thunderstorms and scattered hail. Temperatures are currently hovering between 25°C and 29°C, but they are predicted to climb as soon as the current weather system passes.
According to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data, the city's air quality was recorded in the 'moderate' category this morning, with an AQI of 153 at 9 am. This puts the current air quality squarely in the middle of the CPCB's scale, which ranges from 'good' (0-50) to 'severe' (401-500).
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