New Delhi, July 1 : The residents of Delhi-NCR woke up to cloudy skies, cool breezes and light showers on Wednesday, offering a welcome break from days of sweltering heat and humidity. With the southwest monsoon advancing steadily towards the national capital, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast rain and pleasant weather across the region over the next four to five days.

Light rain was reported from several parts of Delhi, Noida and Ghaziabad during the early hours of Wednesday, while overcast skies and gentle winds kept temperatures in check. The change in weather came as a major relief for commuters and office-goers who had been grappling with soaring temperatures over the past week.

According to the IMD, Delhi is likely to witness light to moderate rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds reaching speeds of 40-50 kmph from July 1 to July 6. The weather department has predicted that cloudy skies will dominate throughout the week, with intermittent showers expected across the city and adjoining areas.

Although the monsoon has not officially entered Delhi, it has already reached parts of Uttar Pradesh and is now inching closer to the national capital, as well as Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan. Weather conditions have become increasingly favourable for its arrival, while pre-monsoon showers have already begun influencing the region.

The first spell of rain, coupled with strong winds on Tuesday night, brought noticeable relief from the oppressive heat. The cooler conditions continued into Wednesday morning, raising hopes of an early monsoon arrival in the national capital.

Just a day earlier, Delhi had recorded scorching temperatures, with the minimum settling at 31.2 degrees Celsius and the maximum touching 40.5 degrees Celsius at Safdarjung, the city's base weather station. The Ridge recorded an even higher maximum of 41.5 degrees Celsius, while Ayanagar registered 40.1 degrees Celsius.

The IMD said that during the past 24 hours, maximum temperatures dipped by one to two degrees Celsius, while minimum temperatures rose slightly by a similar margin. Daytime winds from the west-northwest blew at speeds of 15-20 kmph, further contributing to improved weather conditions.

/IANS