Delhi weather: IMD forecasts rain, storms; yellow alert issued today

Delhi residents woke up to pleasant weather as the city continues to enjoy a spell of relief from the scorching heat after rainfall in some parts of the city. Following intense hot weather conditions towards the end of April, the city experienced heavy rain and thunderstorms on May 2. Ever since, intermittent drizzles and a drop in maximum temperatures have kept the weather relatively cool. The rain, accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning, is expected to continue over the coming days.

 

Rainfall, thunderstorms and hailstorm likely today

 

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms and hailstorms on Friday in the national capital. Strong surface winds reaching speeds of 30–40 kmph, gusting up to 50 kmph, are also expected. The maximum temperature is likely to stay around 37 degrees Celsius, while the minimum will fall to around 25 degrees Celsius on Thursday. 

 

The weather department has issued a yellow alert for May 9 and urged the public to take necessary precautions for safety.

 

Relief from heat likely till May 11

 

Residents can expect relief from the heat until May 11, with thunderstorms, rainfall and a dip in maximum temperatures forecast. Thunderstorms accompanied by rain and gusty winds are expected today. Strong surface winds, reaching speeds of 30–40 kmph during storms, will also be seen. Maximum temperatures are expected to remain between 31 and 36 degrees Celsius. 

 

The IMD has forecast widespread rain accompanied by thunderstorms and gusty winds across Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh, Gilgit-Baltistan, Muzaffarabad and Uttarakhand this week. Scattered showers are also likely over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan till May 11.

 

Air quality stays in ‘moderate’ range

 

Air quality in Delhi remained in the ‘moderate’ category on Friday morning. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 162 at 7 am, compared to 148 at the same time a day earlier.

 

The AQI across Delhi-NCR also moved to the ‘moderate’ or ‘satisfactory’ category. Delhi’s 24-hour average AQI stood at 169 at 4 pm on May 8. In Gurugram, the AQI dropped to 131, placing it in the ‘moderate’ category. Noida and Greater Noida recorded AQIs of 126 and 141, respectively, while Ghaziabad’s AQI stood at 128. 

 

According to the CPCB, an AQI between zero and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51 to 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 to 200 ‘moderate’, 201 to 300 ‘poor’, 301 to 400 ‘very poor’, and 401 to 500 ‘severe’.