More rain predicted for city

Delhi residents on Tuesday were caught off guard as the city was lashed by rains accompanied by strong winds after witnessing days of pleasant, sunny weather. The met office has forecast more rains in the night as well as on Wednesday. ‘More rains were expected on Tuesday night and also on Wednesday. The skies will remain cloudy,’ said an official of the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The maximum and minimum temperatures on Wednesday are expected to hover between 30 and 17 degrees Celsius. The city received 6.6 mm of rainfall on Tuesday from 8.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. and the maximum and minimum temperatures were, respectively, recorded at 31.8 and 17.4 degrees Celsius, both average for this time for the year. The day’s humidity levels wavered between a high of 92 and a low of 39 percent. ‘ The rains are due to a low pressure system that is coming from west Rajasthan,’ said an IMD official.  However, the downpour failed to dampen the spirits of the revellers in the ongoing Durga Puja in the capital as majority of them declared that the damage was superficial, with no alterations in their schedules. ‘Everything is normal here. The only problem was that of slush as the ground is open but that has been taken care of, ‘ said Pradeep Kumar Sen, of the Kashmere Gate Durga Puja Pandal. ‘ There were puddles of water in the ground but we have put sand on them and have dried the ground,’ said Shantanu Bose, an organising committee member . According to the Delhi Police, no traffic snarls were caused in the city due to the late afternoon rain.