A moderate thunderstorm hit several parts of North India, bringing light rains and cooling down temperature today.
According to the MeT department, a feeble western disturbance originated in Central Pakistan and North Rajasthan. This was also coupled by heating of the atmosphere over the past two-three days.
"Usually it (thunderstorm) moves fast, hits a couple of states and dies down in few hours. But this time, it has got help from the easterly winds coming from Bay of Bengal. This also brings moisture, which is the reason behind the light drizzle," said B P Yadav, Director IMD.
The storm has hit northern Rajasthan, southern Punjab, parts of Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh.
"It will proceed to eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and Sikkim and will bring light rains to these states," Yadav added.
IMD Director Laxman Singh Rathore said there was a slight possibility of a similar weather continuing tomorrow.
"Temperatures were shooting up in the eastern parts during the afternoon hours, while west Rajasthan witnessed a marginal drop. This spell of thundershowers brought quick relief from the sweltering heat as temperatures plummeted by 10 to 15 degrees. Temperatures came down to mid-twenties in most parts of north Rajasthan.
"Temperatures will not shoot up immediately. The heat pocket will now shift from Rajasthan to Vidarbha and Madhya Pradesh," Skymet, a private weather forecast agency said.
The thunderstorm also brought down temperatures in the national capital.
"An 80-km per hour wind started at 4.15 PM and brought with it a lot of dust. Visibility dropped to 500 metres at Indira Gandhi International Airport," said Rajendra Jenamani, India Meteorological Department director (IGIA).
According to him, the dust storm was an outcome of the extremely hot conditions yesterday which had pushed the mercury up to 43 degrees Celsius.
