Rains, hailstorm lash Delhi-National Capital Region

New Delhi, October 24, 2021

Rains and hailstorms lashed large parts of Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) in the aftermath of thunderstorms late on Sunday.

Several parts of the national capital, especially north, northwest, and northeast area, and Noida witnessed hailstorms even as there were west-northwesterly winds recorded at Palam at 7 pm, 30 kmph, gusting to 50 kmph.

"Western disturbances" over north Pakistan and neighbourhood as a cyclonic circulation and the associated trough in the middle tropospheric westerlies are responsible for this rainfall, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast had predicted earlier in the day and also on Saturday.

IMD's Safdarjung observatory recorded merely 0.06 mm rainfall till 5.30 p.m. but by 8.30 p.m., it reported 26.4 mm rainfall. Palam observatory recorded trace rainfall till 5.30 p.m. and between 5.30 and 8.30 p.m. it recorded 4.9 mm.

Once in 2013 and another time in 2019 was when Delhi recorded 24-hour highest rainfall of 38.6 mm and 47.3 mm, respectively in the month of October, the IMD data showed. Else, after the monsoon's withdrawal, October receives less than 10 mm rainfall.

The all-time record for October's highest rainfall was on October 1, 1954, when Delhi witnessed 172.7 mm.

About the hailstorm, a senior IMD scientist said: "There must have been hailstorm over north-west Delhi and adjoining parts of Haryana. Radar has also indicated it."

However, hailstorms are reported by IMD officially only when it occurs over one of its observatories. "For any other location, it is through media or any public reporting," he said.

The rainfall decreased to drizzle/light rain after 9.30 p.m. at isolated places in the region and thereafter, it was dry weather.

It was not just Delhi-NCR that received rainfall but several areas surrounding it in Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh such as Greater Noida, Meerut, Pilkhua, Ghaziabad, Modinagar, Dadri, Shamli, Bulandshahr, Chapraula, Yamuna Nagar, Sonipat, Jind, Rewari, Charkhi Dadri, Jhajjar, Manesar, Karnal, Panipat and Kaithal among others, the IMD said. Many of these places too witnessed hailstorms.

IANS