Thunderstorm with rain likely in Delhi today

The national capital on Saturday recorded a minimum temperature of 28.7 degrees Celsius, 0.8 notch above the season’s average, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Despite earlier forecasts of rain and thunderstorms over the past week, the much-anticipated monsoon has yet to arrive in Delhi. Residents experienced a sunny and humid Friday under clear skies, with the city still awaiting its first substantial spell of monsoon showers.

The IMD has forecast cloudy skies and thunderstorms with rain on Saturday and Sunday, with the maximum temperature expected to settle around 37 degrees Celsius. A yellow alert has also been issued for Saturday.

Delhi’s relative humidity stood at 72 per cent at 8:30 AM on Saturday, adding to the discomfort. On Friday, the city had recorded a maximum temperature of 39.1 degrees Celsius—1.9 notches above the seasonal average—while the minimum was 29 degrees Celsius, 1.1 notches higher. Humidity was 72 per cent at 5:30 PM.

According to the IMD, while cloudy conditions prevailed over the past three to four days, only light to very light rainfall was recorded in isolated areas. Persistent southeasterly winds, influenced by an east-west seasonal trough and a convergence line south of the city, led to moisture incursion and low-to-medium cloud formation. However, an anticyclonic circulation and ridge at mid- and upper-levels over the region have been inhibiting the northward advance of the monsoon.

This weather pattern has also affected neighbouring areas of southwest Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Rajasthan. The IMD expects this system to shift over the next three to four days, potentially allowing the monsoon to move into Delhi.

The long-period average (LPA) date for the monsoon’s arrival in the city is June 27. Last year, it reached Delhi on June 28. In previous years, the monsoon arrived on June 25 in 2023, June 30 in 2022, and as late as July 13 in 2021.

Meanwhile, the city’s air quality remained in the “satisfactory” category on Saturday morning, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) reading of 86 at 10 am, according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data. On Friday, the AQI stood at 76 at 4 PM.

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As per CPCB guidelines, 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’.

(With inputs from PTI)