Rain brings relief from heat in Delhi, air quality improves to 'moderate'

Rain and gusty winds swept through parts of Delhi on Friday evening, offering relief from the heat. The showers brought a noticeable dip in temperatures. Despite the evening showers, Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 41 degree Celsius earlier in the day, 4.2 degrees above normal, as per the India Meteorological Department (IMD). 

Weather forecast for Delhi today 

The IMD has predicted partly cloudy skies over parts of Delhi for Saturday, along with light rain, thunderstorms and winds with a speed of 40-50 kilometre per hour, gusting up to 60 kmph, in the evening. The maximum temperature in the national capital is likely to hover near 41 degrees Celsius on April 19, while the minimum is expected to settle near 26 degrees Celsius. 

 

 

Weather forecast for the week

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast partly cloudy skies in Delhi on Sunday, with no rain likely. Clear weather is expected to continue until April 24, and no heatwave warning has been issued for the region during this time.  In the Northeast and East, scattered to fairly widespread light to moderate rain is expected over the next five days, along with thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds.  In southern India, Kerala and Mahe are likely to see similar conditions for the next seven days, with rain, thunder, lightning, and gusty winds. Other areas in the southern peninsula may receive isolated to scattered showers. 

Delhi AQI update 

Air quality in the capital improved to the 'moderate’ category on Saturday morning after being in the 'poor' category on Friday. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 166 at 8 am on April 19, compared to 201 at the same time on Friday.    The AQI across Delhi-NCR improved, with levels falling into the ‘satisfactory’ or ‘moderate’ category. Delhi’s 24-hour average AQI stood at 219 at 4 pm on April 17. AQI improved in Gurugram and remained at 175, under the 'moderate' category. Noida and Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh recorded AQIs of 165 and 170, respectively. Ghaziabad’s AQI improved to 189, placing it in the ‘moderate’ category.