Delhi sees relief as rain likely on May 8, AQI remains 'moderate'

Delhi continues to enjoy a spell of relief from the scorching heat as rain continues in parts of the city. Following intense hot weather conditions in the past few days, the city experienced heavy rain and thunderstorms on May 2. Since then, intermittent drizzles and a drop in maximum temperatures have kept the weather relatively cool. 

Today's forecast: Hot weather with chances of rainfall

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted the temperature to rise on Wednesday 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 34 degrees Celsius on Wednesday with cloudy skies.  The weather department has issued a yellow alert for rainfall on Thursday, May 8, which will be accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning.  

Weather forecast for the week

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 likely to continue until May 7, while cloudy skies will persist through Wednesday. 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. 

Air quality remains in ‘moderate’ category

Air quality in Delhi improved to the ‘moderate’ category on Wednesday morning. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 132 at 7 am, compared to 120 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 141 at 4 pm on May 6. In Gurugram, the AQI dropped to 202, placing it in the ‘poor’ category. Noida and Greater Noida recorded AQIs of 118 and 152, respectively, while Ghaziabad’s AQI stood at 106. 

 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’.