Delhi: Overnight rain, thunderstorms bring down temp; AQI stays satisfactory

Gusty winds reaching up to 76 kmph were recorded in parts of the city between 11:30 pm on Friday and midnight, while short but intense spells of rain across Delhi

Delhi witnessed another spell of overnight thunderstorms and rain late Friday, marking the second consecutive day of stormy weather that brought relief from the heat and kept air quality in the satisfactory category.

New Delhi, May 28 (ANI): A man with his cycle makes his way through a glistening road during rainfall, in New Delhi on Thursday. (ANI Photo/Sumit) (Sumit)

Gusty winds reaching up to 76 kmph were recorded in parts of the city between 11:30 pm on Friday and midnight, while short but intense spells of rain across Delhi led to unusually cool temperatures and kept air quality in the satisfactory range on Saturday morning.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has placed a yellow alert for light rain on Saturday as well, with the prevailing western disturbance set to weaken from Sunday.

IMD data showed Safdarjung, Delhi’s base station for weather observations, logged 5.9 mm of rainfall till 8:30 am on Saturday. Ridge in north Delhi logged 12.1 mm, Palam 2.2 mm, Lodhi Road 6.2 mm, Pusa 13.5 mm, Janakpuri 6.5 mm, Mayur Vihar 8.5 mm and Jafarpur 12 mm.

Delhi’s minimum temperature was 21.4°C on Saturday, seven degrees below normal, making for a fairly cool morning. While Delhi’s maximum temperature was 34.6°C on Friday, it is expected to hover close to 37°C on Saturday and around 38°C thereafter, gradually rising from Monday as the rains abate.

Typically, the monsoon reaches Delhi on June 27. So far, despite a late onset in Kerala, its progress is close to the normal schedule.

The rain also helped keep Delhi’s air quality in the satisfactory range for a second straight day. The Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 77 at 9 am on Saturday. It was 73 at 4 pm on Friday, which was Delhi’s lowest AQI since September 5 last year.