New Delhi: New Delhi witnessed a sudden shift in weather on Saturday evening as heavy rainfall began to drench various parts of the city. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecasted moderate to heavy rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms in numerous areas of Delhi NCR on Saturday.

As per the latest IMD update, many locations in the national capital, including Bahadurgarh, Noida, Greater Noida, Gurugram, and Manesar, are expected to experience moderate to heavy rainfall in the next two hours. This rainfall has brought relief from the heat as the national capital witnessed a sudden change in weather on Saturday.

"Thunderstorm with light to moderate intensity rain with heavy intensity rain over isolated places and gusty winds with speed of 30-50 Km/h would occur over and adjoining areas of many places of Delhi, NCR ( Bahadurgarh, Noida, Greater Noida, Gurugram, Manesar) Meham," IMD wrote in a post on X.

In addition to Delhi, adjacent cities of Haryana, including Sonipat, Rohtak, Kharkhoda, Bhiwani, Charkhi Dadri, Mattanhail, Jhajjar, Farukhnagar, Kosali, Mahendargarh, Rewari, and Rajasthan’s Bhiwari, also received rainfall on Saturday.

As many as 22 flights, according to an official statement, were affected. Among these diversions, 9 flights were redirected to Jaipur, 8 to Lucknow, 2 to Chandigarh, and 1 each to Varanasi, Amritsar, and Ahmedabad. The affected flights included 9 from IndiGo, 8 from Air India, and 3 from Vistara, as confirmed by the official. These diversions occurred between 3:00 pm and 6:30 pm local time, the official further specified. Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) typically manages approximately 1,300 flight movements on a daily basis.

Skymet, a private weather forecasting agency, predicts a ‘normal’ monsoon for India from June to September, with rainfall expected to be 102% of the long-period average. Above-normal rains are anticipated in central and western regions, while northern and southern parts will see normal rainfall. However, the northeastern and eastern parts may face below-normal rains. The report emphasizes favorable rainfall in the South, West, and Northwest, while states like Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, and West Bengal may experience deficits. Kerala, Konka, Karnataka, and Goa are expected to receive above-normal rains.

Tragic Lightning Strike Claims Lives of Two Children in Madhya Pradesh

Iran Launches 300 Drone Missiles on Israel, Escalating Regional Tensions

Gunfire Outside Salman Khan's Residence: Security Concerns Heightened