Light rain, thunderstorms expected in Delhi today, AQI drops to 146

Delhi residents woke up to pleasant weather on Thursday, with light winds offering respite from hot and humid conditions. Various parts of the city also witnessed a drop in temperatures.

 

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert for today, warning of possible thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds. Delhi is expected to see generally cloudy skies with light rain or thunderstorm. The maximum temperature is likely to stay near 36 degrees Celsius and the minimum temperature is expected to hover around 25 degrees Celsius.

 

Delhi weather forecast for the week

 

From today onwards, weather conditions are forecast to stabilise with partly cloudy skies and rising temperatures. Daytime temperatures are set to touch 38 to 40 degrees Celsius between June 5 and 8. Despite the trend, IMD has clearly stated that no heatwave conditions are likely over the next seven days. Winds are expected to shift north-westerly later in the week, with moderate speeds of 20 to 30 kmph. 

 

Delhi AQI improves after rain

 

Air quality in Delhi improved to the ‘moderate’ category on Thursday morning following widespread rain across Delhi-NCR. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 146 at 8 am on June 5, compared to 178 at the same time a day earlier.

 

The improvement in air quality is attributed to the rain, which cleared the atmosphere of pollutants. 

 

Air quality also improved across the NCR, with AQI levels remaining ‘moderate’ in most locations. Delhi’s 24-hour average AQI stood at 187 at 4 pm on June 4. In Gurugram, the AQI was 258, placing it in the 'poor' category. Noida and Greater Noida recorded AQIs of 147 and 108 respectively, while Ghaziabad’s AQI stood at 199.

 

According to the CPCB, an AQI between 0 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’.