Delhi woke up to an unseasonably cool morning on Monday, with the minimum temperature dropping to 22.6°C — a significant 4.3 degrees below the average for this time of year. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the maximum temperature is expected to climb to 37°C later in the day.
The city is also likely to witness more thunderstorms accompanied by rain, the IMD forecast said. Humidity levels were recorded at 67 per cent at 8:30 am.
Meanwhile, the capital’s air quality remained in the ‘moderate’ category, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) standing at 165, as per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). An AQI between 101 and 200 is categorised as ‘moderate’. In comparison, AQI levels between 0-50 are considered ‘good’, 51-100 ‘satisfactory’, 201-300 ‘poor’, 301-400 ‘very poor’, and anything above 400 ‘severe’.
On Sunday, parts of Delhi experienced a spell of very light to light rainfall, accompanied by thunderstorms and gusty winds. The sudden weather activity brought temporary relief from the early summer heat.
The IMD attributed the change in weather to a cloud cluster moving east-southeast, which triggered localised thunderstorms over southern parts of the city. Wind speeds reached between 30 and 40 km/h, gusting up to 50 km/h in some areas over a brief period of one to two hours.
Palam and Jharoda Kalan in southwest Delhi recorded wind gusts of 65 km/h and 37 km/h respectively around 4:30 pm. A short but intense thundersquall was reported at Safdarjung between 4:35 and 4:37 pm, with wind speeds touching 66 km/h. The strongest gust was recorded at Pragati Maidan at 76 km/h around 4:45 pm.
Despite the high winds, no major waterlogging incidents were reported, a Public Works Department (PWD) official confirmed. Around 10 waterlogging-related calls were received at the department’s control room.
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The IMD explained that the stormy weather resulted from the interaction of several atmospheric systems. These included a Western Disturbance in the form of a cyclonic circulation over north Pakistan at mid-tropospheric levels, another cyclonic system over Haryana at lower levels, and a continuous influx of moisture from the Arabian Sea. Additional dynamic and thermodynamic conditions also contributed to the development of Sunday’s storm.
Sunday’s maximum temperature was recorded at 37.9°C — 2.1 degrees below the seasonal norm.
(With inputs from PTI)
