Light and moderate rains were observed in the capital city of Delhi on Saturday, resulting in a substantial drop in both maximum and minimum temperatures. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had previously issued an orange alert for Saturday, forecasting moderate precipitation in several areas of the city.
Thanks to the continuous rainfall, the maximum temperature at Safdarjung weather station decreased by 7.5 degrees, and in Palme—by 4.8 degrees Celsius. Furthermore, meteorologists predict continued rainfall throughout Sunday across the entire Delhi region.
According to the meteorological service, the minimum temperature at Safdarjung weather station on Saturday was 24.8 degrees Celsius, which is 0.8 degrees above normal and 3.4 degrees lower than the previous day's reading. The maximum temperature dropped to 27.6 degrees Celsius, which is 6.5 degrees below normal. In Palme, the maximum temperature recorded was 27.2 degrees, and the minimum was 22 degrees Celsius, while in Ayangar, the minimum temperature was 24 degrees, and on Lodi Road—24.7 degrees Celsius.
According to IMD data, between 11:30 PM on Friday and 5:30 AM on Saturday, 0.7 mm fell at Safdarjung, and by 8:30 AM—1.3 mm. After that, from 8:30 AM to 11:30 AM, 22 mm of precipitation was registered, followed by 4.6 mm by 2:30 PM and 3.2 mm by 5:30 PM. In Palme, 25.2 mm was recorded from 8:30 AM to 11:30 AM, and 10.4 mm by 2:30 PM. On Lodi Road, 24.4 mm was noted from 8:30 AM to 11:30 AM, 4.4 mm by 2:30 PM, and 2 mm by 5:30 PM.
Meteorologists again forecast light or moderate rains across Delhi on Sunday. An IMD official stated that cloudiness is expected, and very light or light showers with thunderstorms are possible in some places in the morning. Another period of light or moderate precipitation is also expected in the afternoon. According to IMD forecasts, the maximum temperature on Sunday will be around 31–33 degrees Celsius, and the minimum—24–26 degrees Celsius.
Thanks to the rain, the air quality in the capital has significantly improved. According to CPCB data, the Air Quality Index (AQI) was in the satisfactory category on Saturday morning, and the 24-hour average as of 4:00 PM was 59, compared to 71 recorded on Friday. According to CPCB standards, AQI values from 0 to 50 are considered 'good', from 51 to 100—'satisfactory', and from 101 to 200—'moderate'.