Delhi gets weather respite as dust storm, rain cool soaring temperatures

After enduring several days of intense heatwave conditions, residents across Delhi-NCR woke up to a welcome change in weather on May 23, as overcast skies and cool winds brought much-needed relief from the blistering summer heat.

Visuals from Delhi’s Rafi Marg showed grey skies and breezy conditions early in the morning, marking a temporary pause in the capital’s prolonged spell of scorching temperatures.

The weather shift follows a fresh alert from the Regional Weather Forecasting Centre, which warned of dust storms, thunderstorms, light rain, drizzle and lightning across several parts of Delhi and the National Capital Region over the next few hours.

According to the forecast issued at 8:30 am on May 23, gusty winds of 30 to 50 kmph are expected initially, with wind speeds likely to intensify to 60–80 kmph during moderate to severe thunderstorm activity.

The weather office said dust storms are likely at multiple locations across Delhi-NCR, along with parts of Haryana and Rajasthan, potentially impacting visibility, traffic movement and causing localised power disruptions.

Among the areas flagged for possible weather activity are Sonipat, Jhajjar, Rewari, Palwal, Nuh and Bhiwadi, among others.

Officials have urged residents to remain cautious, avoid open spaces during storm activity, and refrain from taking shelter under trees or weak structures as strong winds and lightning may pose safety risks.

The relief, however, may be short-lived. On May 22, Delhi’s four-day heatwave spell eased marginally, but the India Meteorological Department said significant respite remains unlikely. The weather department has issued an orange alert for heatwave conditions from May 23 to May 28, warning that maximum temperatures could climb to between 44 and 46 degrees Celsius from May 24 onward.

Delhi’s minimum temperature on May 22 settled at 29.3 degrees Celsius, 3 degrees above normal, though it did not meet the IMD’s “warm night” criteria, which requires the minimum to be at least 4.5 degrees above normal when daytime temperatures cross 40 degrees Celsius.