New Delhi: Rain lashed several areas of the national capital on Sunday afternoon, bringing the temperature down by almost 10 degrees and giving a much-needed respite to the citizens from the blistering heat of the last few days.
The Meteorological Department, however, said the showers were not monsoon rain and the city will miss its June 29 date with the monsoon, the normal onset day for the yearly phenomenon in the city.
Within two hours of rain hitting Delhi, average temperature plummeted by almost 10 degrees Celsius, from a sweltering 40.8 degrees at around 2.30 pm to a modest 31.0 degree Celsius at 4.30 pm.
The respite came as the city-dwellers were reeling under soaring heat and massive power cuts coupled with water shortage. The capital has been witnessing intense heat wave for the past few days with maximum temperature hovering around 44 degrees.
"It was a much-needed relief from the heat that was getting unbearable day by day. Hope the monsoon arrives soon," said a Delhi University admission-seeker, whose trip around colleges was interrupted by the showers.
The Southwest monsoon, which touched Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Orissa on Saturday, is expected to cover parts of Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal and Sikkim in the next three to four days.
Last year, the maximum had not crossed 40 degrees Celsius in June, with the highest of 38.7 degrees being recorded on the first day of the month.