Delhi enjoys breezy weather after rain, more showers likely on Friday

Delhi experienced breezy weather on Thursday due to brief spells of showers and drizzle, with parts of the city receiving up to 12.5 mm of rainfall, while the minimum temperature stood at 17.6 degrees Celsius, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

The IMD stated that Safdarjung and Lodhi Road recorded 8.2 mm of rainfall each, while the Ridge station received 8.6 mm and Palam recorded 6.2 mm. Ayanagar recorded 7.2 mm of rainfall, and Pitampura recorded 5.5 mm.

Additionally, Mayur Vihar recorded 3 mm of rainfall, while Janakpuri received 12.5 mm from 8.30 am on Wednesday till 8.30 am on Thursday.

Meteorological experts attributed the activity to a western disturbance that induced a cyclonic circulation over South Haryana.

“The system is expected to intensify over central Pakistan and adjoining parts of Punjab and Haryana from Thursday, leading to further rainfall over the next two days,” Mahesh Palawat, a weather expert, told PTI.

He added that pre-monsoon showers, thunderstorms and isolated hailstorms are likely. While temperatures are expected to hover in the mid-to-high 20s during this period, they will likely rise once the disturbance subsides.

“Current models suggest that weather conditions on March 20 are likely to be more intense,” he said.

The weather office noted that the minimum temperature was recorded at 17.6 degrees Celsius, which is 1.1 notches above the seasonal average, while the maximum temperature is expected to settle around 29 degrees Celsius.

According to the IMD, Delhi is under a ‘yellow alert’ for very light to light rainfall, thunderstorms accompanied by lightning, and gusty winds with speeds of 30 to 40 kilometres per hour.

The AQI stood in the ‘moderate’ category at 9 am, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) reading of 153, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data showed.

According to the CPCB, an AQI between zero 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’.