India

IMD Issues Red Alert as Heavy Rain, Thunderstorms Hit Delhi Ahead of BRICS Summit

By HT News Desk

Delhi experienced heavy rainfall and strong winds on Friday, prompting the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to issue a red alert for the national capital until 5 pm. The weather remained overcast as the city prepared for the BRICS Summit, scheduled to take place on September 12 and 13.

Areas in central and north Delhi, including Parliament Street and Bharat Mandapam, received light to moderate rainfall. In an update issued at 1 pm, the IMD said several parts of the city could see rain of up to 15 mm per hour, with some areas likely to experience heavier rainfall exceeding that level over the following hours.

The weather office has forecast multiple spells of rain during the two-day BRICS Summit. On Saturday, the first day of the event, one or two spells of very light to light rain accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning are expected in many areas from early morning to late morning, followed by another spell of light to moderate rain from evening into the night. No weather alert has been issued for Saturday, though light to moderate rain is expected throughout the day.

Meteorologist Navdeep Dahiya attributed the rain to the movement of the monsoon axis over the region. He said that as the monsoon axis shifts southward, easterly winds would take over from Friday onward, bringing localized spells of moderate rain to Uttar Pradesh, Delhi-NCR, Haryana, Punjab, Chandigarh, and Rajasthan during the afternoon and evening hours through the weekend. He noted that the rain would likely cover only 30 to 40 percent of the region, meaning not all areas would receive rainfall from this spell.

The rain is expected to bring down Delhi’s temperatures, which reached a high of 36.6°C on Thursday. Forecasts indicate the maximum temperature will stay below 33°C starting Saturday.

Meanwhile, the absence of rain in the preceding days had led to a rise in the city’s air quality index (AQI). According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi’s AQI stood at 134, categorized as “moderate,” on Thursday — the highest level recorded since July 19, when it was 171. The CPCB classifies AQI values from 0 to 50 as “good,” 51 to 100 as “satisfactory,” 101 to 200 as “moderate,” 201 to 300 as “poor,” 301 to 400 as “very poor,” and above 400 as “severe.”