Sultry weather in Delhi, rains unlikely for next three days

The national capital experienced sultry weather on Wednesday as rains continued to evade the city for the last few days.

The weather department said that similar conditions are likely to prevail for the next two to three days after which a fresh spell of rain is predicted on August 25 and 26.

On Wednesday, the city recorded a high of 36.1 degrees Celsius, two notches above the normal, and a low of 24.8 degrees Celsius. Humidity levels oscillated between 51 and 92 per cent.

Mahesh Palawat, vice president (Meteorology and Climate) of Skymet Weather, a private weather forecasting agency, said the west end of the axis of monsoon trough lies on the foothills of the Himalayas.

By August 24, it will start moving south, enhancing rains in Haryana, Punjab, Delhi and west Uttar Pradesh, he said, a fresh western disturbance and south-easterly winds from the Bay of Bengal may improve precipitation in the national capital.

The national capital recorded its air quality in the "moderate" category on Wednesday. The Central Pollution Control Board recorded an air quality index of 109, down from 97 on Tuesday.

An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', and 401 and 500 'severe'.

The Centre-run System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting said widespread rainfall is not likely for the next two days and this can lead to a slight deterioration in air quality.

The capital's air quality is predicted to fluctuate between higher ranges of "satisfactory" and "moderate" categories for the next three days.