Rains bring relief to Delhi, IMD issues yellow alert for more showers

At least 14 flights were diverted and more than 350 flights were delayed at the Delhi airport due to heavy rainfall and severe weather conditions

Delhi residents woke up to cooler, more pleasant weather on Monday after heavy rain and thunderstorms on Sunday evening brought much-needed respite from scorching heat and humidity. The downpour led to a significant drop in temperatures across several parts of the city

 

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert for the day, forecasting more rain, thunderstorms and gusty winds. The minimum temperature is expected to hover around 27 degrees Celsius, while the maximum may reach 38 degrees Celsius.

 

What triggered the sudden rains

 

According to the IMD, the rain spell was caused by a combination of weather systems. These include a Western Disturbance marked by a cyclonic circulation over northern Pakistan in the mid-tropospheric levels, another cyclonic circulation over Haryana at lower levels, and a continuous inflow of moisture from the Arabian Sea. The department said other dynamic and thermodynamic factors also contributed to the storm’s development. 

 

14 flights diverted at Delhi airport

 

At least 14 flights were diverted and more than 350 were delayed at the Delhi airport due to heavy rain and severe weather conditions on Sunday evening. According to a PTI report, the diversions occurred between 4.30 pm and 6.10 pm. Seven flights were diverted to Jaipur, two each to Chandigarh and Amritsar, and one each to Ahmedabad, Dehradun and Lucknow.

 

Delhi’s air quality in the 'moderate' category

 

Air quality in Delhi improved to the ‘moderate’ category on Monday morning following widespread rain across Delhi-NCR. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 166 at 7 am on June 2, compared to 208 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 197 at 4 pm on June 1. In Gurugram, the AQI was 192. Noida and Greater Noida recorded AQIs of 146 and 123, respectively, while Ghaziabad’s AQI stood at 152.

 

As per 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’.