New Delhi: The city saw widespread but light to very light rain on Sunday morning, while parts of NCR received intense showers, thus bringing the temperatures down.Weather analysts said that while the mercury was set to rise marginally over the next few days, another western disturbance would lead to widespread rain by halfway through next week, thus keeping the heat under control. On Sunday, however, despite recording a drop, the daytime temperature remained above normal, as the early morning’s overcast sky was replaced by sun and a partly cloudy sky.On Sunday, the maximum temperature recorded at the base station was 30.1 degrees Celsius, a notch above normal, against 33.2 degrees Celsius a day earlier. The minimum temperature was 18.1 degrees Celsius, 4 notches below normal, compared to 18.1 degrees Celsius a day earlier.“The western disturbance is exiting, though the remnant moisture may lead to drizzling on Monday at a few places in NCR. The temperatures will rise, however, not sharply. On March 19 and March 20, there is a possibility of widespread rain again,” said Mahesh Palawat, Skymet.On Sunday, as per IMD, between 5.30 am and 8.30 am, base station Safdarjung and Lodhi Road logged 0.8 mm rainfall, Palam 0.4 mm, Ayanagar 2.6 mm and Pitampura 3.5 mm, respectively. Later, between 8.30 am and 5.30 pm, Safdarjung recorded 0.4 mm rainfall, Palam saw a trace, Lodhi Road and Pusa recorded 0.5 mm and Ayanagar recorded 0.8 mm rainfall, respectively.“The western disturbance as an upper air cyclonic circulation over north Punjab and neighbourhood between 1.5 and 3.1 km above mean sea level, with the trough aloft middle and upper-level westerlies at 5.8 km above mean sea level, persists. A fresh western disturbance is likely to affect northwest India from the night of March 17,” stated IMD.
