Heavy Rains Lash Kerala As Monsoon Set To Arrive Today; Delhi Under Yellow Alert For Rain

Delhi remained under a yellow alert on Thursday as the IMD forecast rain and thunderstorms across parts of the national capital.

Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 29.7 degrees Celsius on Wednesday.

Heavy rains lashed various parts of Kerala since Wednesday night as the southwest monsoon is set to make its arrival in the state today. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has already issued an orange alert in Alappuzha, Kottayam and Ernakulam districts for three hours.

The weather agency said that thunderstorms with heavy rainfall and maximum surface wind speeds reaching 40 kilometres per hour were likely in the state. The arrival of the monsoon over Kerala marks the official beginning of India's four-month rainy season, which typically runs from June to September.

Under normal conditions, the monsoon reaches Kerala by June 1. Earlier forecasts had suggested an onset around May 26, but the weather system failed to advance as anticipated. Subsequently, the IMD revised its projection, indicating that the monsoon would likely arrive during the first week of June.

The weather agency has also projected that India could receive rainfall amounting to around 90 per cent of the Long Period Average (LPA) during the 2026 monsoon season.

Delhi Issues Yellow Alert

Meanwhile, Delhi remained under a yellow alert on Thursday as the IMD forecast rain and thunderstorms across parts of the national capital.

The city recorded a minimum temperature of 29.7 degrees Celsius, while the maximum temperature was expected to touch 38 degrees Celsius during the day.

According to station-wise observations, Palam recorded a minimum temperature of 27.6 degrees Celsius, slightly above normal levels. Lodhi Road reported 28.4 degrees Celsius, while Ridge and Ayanagar recorded 27.5 degrees Celsius and 28.4 degrees Celsius, respectively.

Air quality in the capital remained in the moderate category, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 147.

Building Collapse In Kerala's Idukki

In a separate incident, a five-storey building under construction collapsed in Kerala's Idukki district during the early hours of Thursday.

The structure, located at Pambanar near Peerumedu, came crashing down around 3.30 am. Officials said no casualties were reported as no workers were present inside the building at the time of the collapse.

Although the under-construction building was completely destroyed, members of a family living in a nearby house escaped unharmed. The property is reportedly owned by a local resident identified as Agnal.

Authorities are investigating the cause of the collapse.