Delhi on Friday received light rainfall amid a scorching heatwave that has swept North India. The downpour brought respite from the heatwave that lasted for the last 11 days.
The rains brought down the temperature in the national capital to 28.4 degrees Celsius, which is normal for this time of the season, the weather office said.
However, the light downpour accompanied by gusty winds with speeds of 30-40 kmph caused water logging in many areas that led to traffic and incidents of uprooting of trees.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had predicted some relief from the searing heatwave in Delhi over the weekend as the sky is likely to remain partly cloudy on Saturday and Sunday. The met department has predicted thunderstorms accompanied by light rain on Friday in some parts of the city.
The city and its adjoining NCR area witnessed light to moderate-intensity rains in several parts during the evening.
As per the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, at least 13 areas across the national capital reported waterlogging till 6 pm. There were nine complaints of uprooting of trees received by the civic body's control room till that time due to the gusty winds.
Delhi has been reeling under a intense heatwave and a severe water crisis. According to a senior police official, bodies of more than 50 people were recovered from in and around Delhi in the last five days.
The Air Quality Index (AQI) of the national capital was recorded in the moderate category with a reading of 173 at 1 pm, according to the Central Pollution Control Board. An AQI between zero and 50 is considered good, 51 and 100 satisfactory, 101 and 200 moderate, 201 and 300 poor, 301 and 400 very poor, and 401 and 500 severe.
The IMD on Thursday said that heatwave conditions have abated from Delhi under the influence of western disturbance and lower-level easterlies from Bay of Bengal.