Yellow alert in Delhi as IMD forecasts light rain today; humidity persists

Minimum temperature eases to 30.2 degrees Celsius, but hot and humid conditions remain as IMD forecasts light rain, thunderstorms and gusty winds in Delhi; heavy rainfall likely across several states

The national capital is set for another hot and humid day on Saturday despite a marginal dip in the minimum temperature. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert for Delhi and forecasts light rainfall, thunderstorms and gusty winds over the city. 

Delhi's primary weather station at Safdarjung recorded a minimum temperature of 30.2 degrees Celsius, around three degrees above normal and 0.8 degree lower than Friday's reading. The maximum temperature is likely to settle between 35 degrees Celsius and 37 degrees Celsius under a generally cloudy sky. 

According to the IMD, Delhi is likely to witness a spell of very light to light rain accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning at isolated places during the forenoon or afternoon. Strong surface winds of 20-30 kmph, gusting up to 40 kmph, are also expected.  However, the brief showers are unlikely to provide widespread relief, with hot and humid conditions expected to persist at isolated places through the day. The weather department has issued a yellow alert for both Saturday and Sunday, advising people to remain cautious during thunderstorms and gusty winds. 

 

The forecast suggests little change in weather conditions over the next 24 hours before rainfall activity is likely to increase early next week as monsoon conditions gradually strengthen over north India. Maximum temperatures are expected to remain close to the seasonal average, while humidity levels will continue to make outdoor conditions uncomfortable. 

Air quality in the capital remained in the 'moderate' category on Saturday morning. The Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 173 at 9 am, compared with the 24-hour average AQI of 177 recorded at 4 pm on Friday, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Under the CPCB classification, an AQI between 101 and 200 falls in the 'moderate' category. 

Rainfall to continue over most parts of India 

IMD has warned of widespread monsoon activity across eastern, central and northeastern India. Heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely at isolated places over Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya, Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand, while isolated extremely heavy rainfall is forecast over parts of West Bengal and Sikkim. 

Heavy rainfall is also likely over Bihar, eastern Madhya Pradesh, eastern Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Kerala, Karnataka, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura. Thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds of 40-50 kmph are expected over parts of coastal Andhra Pradesh, interior Karnataka, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Marathwada. Telangana may witness thundersqualls with wind speeds reaching 50-60 kmph at isolated places, while strong surface winds are likely over parts of Karnataka and Telangana. 

Marine conditions are also expected to remain rough. The IMD has forecast squally winds over large parts of the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal. Fishermen have been advised to exercise caution before venturing into these areas.