light rain in the evening for Delhi-NCR

New Delhi, May 21 (IANS) After witnessing scorching heat through the day on Friday, Delhi NCR experienced slight respite towards evening with thunderstorm and dust storms and slight rain across many areas even as east Delhi areas such as Mayur Vihar receiving a hailstorm too.

Palam registered 0.1 mm rainfall while Safdarjung registered trace rainfall.

Safdarjung observatory - the base station for Delhi - registered maximum temperature of 44.4 degrees Celsius, five notches above normal. Except Mayur Vihar, rest other stations in Delhi registered maximum temperatures above 45 degrees Celsius and of them, three above 47 degrees Celsius. Gurugram too registered a maximum temperature above 47 degrees Celsius.

For Saturday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted partly cloudy sky with dust storm/thunderstorm, accompanied with gusty wind (speed 30-40 kmph), towards afternoon/evening and very light drizzle at isolated places. Maximum and minimum temperatures are expected to be around 40 and 29 degrees Celsius, respectively.

A fresh Western Disturbance is likely to affect northwest India from May 22.