Monsoon delay persists in Delhi amid cloudy skies, rain forecast; AQI at 80

Delhi Weather Forecast: Light rain, thunderstorms forecast through July 2; no weather alerts issued for the capital

Delhi residents woke to a pleasant morning on Friday as the temperature continued to remain lower.

 

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has not issued any alerts for Delhi. Forecasts state chances of very light to light rainfall with cloudy skies throughout the day. Rain will be accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning towards the evening, the IMD stated.

 

Generally cloudy skies with light to moderate rain and thunderstorms are likely, accompanied by lightning and gusty winds of 30–40 kmph, occasionally reaching up to 50 kmph during storms, the IMD said.

 

The showers are expected to bring down the maximum temperature, keeping it between 36–38 degrees Celsius, with the minimum likely to hover around 26–28 degrees Celsius. 

 

Delhi weather: Weekly forecast

Delhi is likely to experience mostly cloudy skies over the next seven days, with the IMD issuing no alerts for the next seven days in its late-night forecast on June 26. IMD forecasts thunderstorms, lightning, and light to very light rainfall until July 2. Gusty winds of 30–40 kmph, occasionally reaching up to 50 kmph during evening or night storms, are also expected. While rainfall intensity may vary, no heatwave conditions are forecast for the week.

Monsoon keeps Delhi waiting

Despite cloudy skies and a light rain hanging over the city, the long-awaited monsoon has still not arrived in Delhi.

 

The IMD has issued several yellow alerts in recent days, predicting the monsoon's onset. But so far, the rains have not followed.

 

In its bulletin on June 25, the IMD said the monsoon was likely to reach Delhi within the next 24 hours (by June 26). Referring to its earlier forecast, the department noted that cloudy conditions had persisted over Delhi for the past three to four days. However, only very light to light rain was recorded in a few areas. 

 

According to the IMD, southeasterly winds have been blowing across the city during this time due to an east-west seasonal trough and a convergence line located south of Delhi, extending up to 2 km above ground level.

Delhi air quality turns ‘satisfactory’

Delhi’s air quality improved on Friday, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) slipping into the ‘satisfactory’ category after remaining ‘moderate’ for the last few days.

 

The air quality was recorded ‘satisfactory’ at 8 am on June 27, with an AQI reading of 80, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51–100 ‘satisfactory’, 101–200 ‘moderate’, 201–300 ‘poor’, 301–400 ‘very poor’ and 401–500 ‘severe’.

IMD issues heavy rain alert for several states

Heavy to very heavy rain is expected in some parts of Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Punjab, and east Rajasthan. Some areas in Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Chandigarh, and west Rajasthan may also get heavy rain. Thunderstorms and lightning are likely in many parts of northwest India, except Uttar Pradesh. Gusty winds (30–40 kmph) may blow in some places in Jammu & Kashmir and east Rajasthan. 

 

Heavy rainfall has caused significant damage in parts of Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and some areas of northeast India. Rain-related accidents have been reported, and state governments are taking necessary measures.