IMD issues yellow alert for rain, thunderstorm in Delhi; AQI drops to 54

Cloud-laden skies enveloped Delhi on Friday morning as the IMD issued a yellow alert for thunderstorms and rain, after heavy showers drenched the national capital a day earlier.

The city received moderate rainfall over the past 24 hours, with Safdarjung, the city’s base station, recording 33.6 mm till 8.30 am, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

Lodhi Road received 33.7 mm of rainfall, followed by Ridge at 25.9 mm, Ayanagar at 4.2 mm and Palam at 1.8 mm during the same period.

The IMD has forecast thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and very light to light, at places moderate, rainfall during the afternoon and evening, and issued a ‘yellow’ alert for the national capital.

Humidity stood at 92 per cent at 8.30 am.

Meanwhile, the minimum temperature settled at 25.8 degrees Celsius at Safdarjung, 1.5 notches below normal.

Palam recorded 24.4 degrees Celsius, 2.8 notches below normal, while Lodhi Road registered 25.7 degrees Celsius, 0.3 notch below normal.

The Ridge station recorded a minimum of 22.9 degrees Celsius, 3.6 notches below normal, and Ayanagar logged 24.6 degrees Celsius, 2.4 notches below normal.

Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 54 at 9 am, placing it in the ‘satisfactory’ category, according to Central Pollution Control Board data.

An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51 and 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 and 200 ‘moderate’, 201 and 300 ‘poor’, 301 and 400 ‘very poor’, and 401 and 500 ‘severe’.