India, May 1 -- Parts of Delhi-NCR on Thursday witnessed rain, gusty winds and hail, dragging temperatures down by 8-15 degrees Celsius, as April signed off on a pleasant note after days of sweltering heat pushed the mercury above the 40-degree Celsius mark.

Dark clouds enveloped large parts of the city as an orange alert by the IMD remained in place during the evening hours.

According to the weather office, the capital recorded its wettest April in 18 years, with pre-monsoon showers lashing parts of Delhi in the first half of the month. According to official data, Delhi received 27.9 mm of rainfall in April, compared to 38.6 mm recorded in April 2008.

At Palam, the temperature dropped from 39 degrees to 28 degrees Celsius after a thun...