Delhi on yellow alert again as rain, thunderstorms likely to hit the city

Delhi remained under a ‘yellow alert’ on Tuesday, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasting rain and thunderstorms for the day. The minimum temperature was recorded at 27 degrees Celsius, 0.9 degrees above normal, according to the weather office.

A ‘yellow alert’, under the IMD’s colour-coded warning system, signals the need to “be aware” of potentially impactful weather conditions.

The IMD has predicted a generally cloudy sky with moderate rainfall through the day. The maximum temperature is expected to settle at 34 degrees Celsius, while relative humidity was recorded at 70 per cent at 8.30 AM.

Meanwhile, the Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi stood at 85, placing it in the ‘satisfactory’ category, as per the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) national bulletin. An AQI between zero and 50 is classified as “good”, 51–100 as “satisfactory”, 101–200 “moderate”, 201–300 “poor”, 301–400 “very poor”, and 401–500 “severe”.

This marks the 12th straight day of ‘satisfactory’ air quality—the longest such stretch in the city this year. The AQI had dropped from 134 (moderate) on June 25 to 94 (satisfactory) on June 26, and has remained under 100 since.

Rain in the early hours helped bring down maximum temperatures in most parts of the city. On Monday, Delhi recorded a maximum of 35 degrees Celsius, which was 1.6 degrees above the seasonal average. The minimum temperature dipped to 22.9 degrees Celsius, with relative humidity at 73 per cent by 5.30 PM.

Several areas witnessed light to moderate showers, leading to waterlogging and slow traffic, as visuals showed commuters navigating puddles under overcast skies. The IMD reported 12.0 mm of rainfall.

(with inputs from PTI)