Delhi-NCR sees sudden temperature dip after rain, breaks heat spell

GURGAON: Temperatures dropped on Friday as a light spell of rain, thunderstorms and gusty winds were experienced in the city, bringing down the minimum temperature to 16 degrees Celsius, a 2-degree dip from Thursday's 18.3°C. The maximum temperature stood at 21.1°C, 3.6 degrees lower than the previous day's.

Independent weatherman Navdeep Dhaiya called it a "very rare cold day" for north India in late March, noting that maximum temperatures across Delhi, Haryana, Punjab and west Uttar Pradesh were likely to stay in the 15-19°C range - about 10-15°C below normal.

Across the state, the average minimum temperature dipped by 1.2°C compared to the previous day and neared normal levels. The lowest minimum in the state was 14.3°C at Sonipat.

The shift has been driven by an active western disturbance and associated cyclonic circulation over the region, triggering heavy snowfall in places at higher altitudes. Lahaul in Himachal Pradesh is one such place.

In the past 24 hours, the city recorded 6.5mm rain, while Rohtak logged 22.4mm and Narnaul 12.5mm. IMD said weather is likely to remain dry on March 21, 22 and 24, with isolated rain expected again on March 23, 25 and 26.