Delhi-NCR is expected to receive rain over the next two days, with thunderstorms, lightning and winds reaching up to 50 kmph in some areas, after a dust storm reduced visibility and darkened the daytime sky across parts of the region on Friday.
The India Meteorological Department attributed the weather change to a western disturbance over northern Pakistan and adjoining areas, along with an upper-air cyclonic circulation over Haryana and neighbouring parts of north-west Uttar Pradesh. The system is expected to bring thunderstorms and strong winds to Delhi and nearby states.
The forecast has direct implications for road users and outdoor activity across the National Capital Region. The dust storm on Friday created visibility problems for people travelling on roads, while the expected combination of rain, lightning and strong winds may affect movement and activity in exposed areas. The weather department has forecast rain in several parts of Delhi for today and tomorrow.
The change in weather has also increased the amount of dust in the air across Delhi-NCR. The Central Pollution Control Board recorded Delhi’s air quality index at 173 at 9.30 am on Friday, placing it in the ‘moderate’ category.
Temperatures remained above normal at several monitoring stations. The minimum temperature at Safdarjung was 25.2 degrees Celsius and at Lodhi Road 24.2 degrees Celsius, both 4.2 degrees above normal. Ayanagar recorded a minimum of 24.7 degrees Celsius, which was 3.8 degrees above normal. The Ridge and Palam stations recorded minimum temperatures of 23.8 degrees Celsius and 22.7 degrees Celsius, respectively.
The weather conditions have also brought renewed attention to dust generated by construction activity. The Delhi Pollution Control Committee is carrying out regular and surprise inspections at government and private project sites to check compliance with dust-control rules. Show-cause notices have been issued to agencies linked to some project sites where the prescribed measures were not found to be in place. The agencies receiving notices include some government bodies, according to the report.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said on Friday that pollution-control rules must be followed by all construction projects. She said the government’s priority was to ensure that prescribed measures were implemented effectively at construction sites and that action would be taken against agencies found violating the rules.
The chief minister also said government departments, construction agencies, contractors and private companies would be subject to the same pollution-control requirements. The statement places government projects within the same compliance framework as private construction activity, while the DPCC inspections are intended to identify sites where dust-control measures are not being followed.
The immediate weather forecast remains focused on rain, thunderstorms, lightning and strong winds across Delhi-NCR. Authorities are also continuing inspections of construction sites and issuing notices where dust-control requirements are not met.
