Rain likely in Delhi; Air quality moderate

Rain lashed parts of Delhi-NCR on Monday morning, bringing relief from the hot and humid conditions that had persisted over the past several days.

The national capital has been witnessing unusually high temperatures through September and early October.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 20.6 degrees Celsius, two notches below the season’s average. The maximum temperature on Sunday was 34.1 degrees Celsius.

Rainfall was recorded at several stations in the city. Safdarjung, the city’s base observatory, logged 10.3 mm of rain till 8:30 am, while Lodhi Road received 13.2 mm, Palam 4.6 mm, Ridge 8.2 mm, and Ayanagar 5.4 mm during the same period, IMD data showed.

The weather office has forecast a partly cloudy sky during the day, with the maximum temperature is likely to settle around 29 degrees Celsius.

It predicted light to moderate rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds (30-40 kmph) through the day and into the evening.

At 8 am, the relative humidity in the city was recorded at 80 per cent.

Residents woke up to “moderate” air quality, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) standing at 117, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (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”.