Light rainfall, cleaner air greets Delhi on 79th Independence Day

Delhi to see cloudy skies, light rain till Aug 20; IMD forecasts morning and evening showers with no alerts issued for the week

Delhi woke up to light rain on Friday as India marks its 79th Independence Day. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast light to moderate showers accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning for the day. Maximum temperatures are expected to hover between 31 degrees Celsius and 33 degrees Celsius, while the minimum will range from 23 degrees Celsius to 25 degrees Celsius.

 

Cloudy skies, intermittent showers till Aug 20 in Delhi

 

According to the weekly forecast, the weather department predicts generally cloudy skies with one or two spells of very light to light rain or thunderstorms in the morning and forenoon. Another spell is likely in the evening or night. This weather pattern is expected to continue till August 20. No alerts have been issued for the capital for the coming week. 

 

 

Delhi's air quality improves to ‘satisfactory’

 

The fresh spell of rain brought a marked improvement in air quality. At 7 am on Friday, Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 67, placing it in the ‘satisfactory’ category as per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). This was a significant improvement from the 24-hour average AQI of 90 recorded on August 14. In the NCR, most cities reported ‘satisfactory’ or ‘moderate’ levels, Gurugram 104, Noida 88, Greater Noida 136, and Ghaziabad 102.

 

Heavy rainfall alerts for neighbouring states

 

While Delhi escaped weather alerts, heavy rain warnings have been issued for several neighbouring regions. In Uttar Pradesh, the IMD has placed an orange alert for very heavy rainfall in Saharanpur, Shamli, Muzaffarnagar, and Bijnor districts. The monsoon spell is set to intensify in western UP over the next few days.

 

Uttarakhand is expected to see extremely heavy rainfall in isolated areas, while Himachal Pradesh may experience heavy to very heavy showers. Some parts of Jammu & Kashmir and Haryana are also likely to receive heavy rainfall.