Delhi to remain ‘Cooler’ as IMD predicts more rain next week

Delhi's temperatures are expected to stay below 40°C until May 14, with possible rain and gusty winds on May 11-12, as per the IMD.

Updated on: May 8, 2026, 22:41:58 IST

By Jasjeev Gandhiok

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New Delhi: Delhi is likely to stay relatively cooler during the first half of this month, as temperatures are expected to stay below 40°C till at least May 14, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) stated on Friday.

The department also issued a yellow alert for possible rain and gusty winds in the Capital on May 11 and 12.

According to the IMD, this is likely due to a western disturbance approaching northwest India on May 10, with southeasterly winds and rain expected to keep the maximum temperature around or below normal until at least May 14.

On Friday, Delhi’s maximum temperature stood at 36.4°C – three notches below normal. Forecasts show the maximum temperature is likely to hover between 35-37°C on Saturday and 37-39°C on Sunday, before light rain provides marginal cooling.

“By Tuesday, the maximum will dip again by 1-2°C, and even though not much rain is likely, overcast skies and gusty winds will provide slight cooling,” an IMD official said.

Between May 12 and 14, the maximum is expected to oscillate between 35-37°C, the official added.

Mahesh Palawat, vice president at Skymet Weather, said the first half of May is unlikely to see any heatwaves, with temperature remaining mostly comfortable. “While moisture content and humidity will rise slightly, temperature will stay in control, so no heatwave is expected till May 15. After that, temperatures are expected to gradually rise,” he said.

So far, the month has remained fairly cool due to western disturbances and rain. Parts of the city even saw brief spells of hailstorms on May 5. The highest maximum so far in May this year has been 38.6°C, recorded on May 2.

Typically, in May, the maximum temperature crosses 40°C and sometimes reaches 45°C. In 2025, the highest maximum temperature for May was 42.3°C (May 16). It was 46.8°C in 2024 (May 30). In 2023, it was 43.7°C (May 23) and in 2022, it was 45.6°C (May 16).

The minimum temperature on Friday stood at 22.6°C, which was three degrees below normal. This is forecast to rise in the coming days, possibly going up to 28°C by May 12.

Meanwhile, Delhi’s air quality on Friday was in the “satisfactory” range, with an average air quality index (AQI) of 100. It was 125 (moderate) a day earlier. Forecasts by the Centre’s Air Quality Early Warning System (EWS) for Delhi shows AQI is likely to return to “moderate” and stay in this range over the weekend.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jasjeev Gandhiok
Jasjeev Gandhiok is an Assistant Editor with Hindustan Times, where he covers environment, climate change, the clean energy transition and wildlife at the National Bureau. Gandhiok has over a decade of experience in journalism and is based in Delhi. He has reported extensively on Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR). This includes the region's air pollution woes, a polluted Yamuna and on urban wildlife still thriving in the region. He joined HT in October 2021. Prior to that, he had five-year stint at The Times of India in Delhi, where he also covered Delhi, with a focus on environment and wildlife. Gandhiok has covered some recent events around the Capital too, ranging from the farmers' protests, the northeast Delhi riots and the CAA-NRC protests, reporting from the ground on all of these. He also travels across the country to report on how environment and climate change impact everyday life, while also writing on endangered species. His reports in 2019 on toxic leachate from Delhi's landfills led to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) taking suo motu cognisance and ultimately asking the state government to start bio-mining to flatten and remove all three landfills in the capital. He also closely tracks the implementation of government policies on climate, renewable energy and environmental protection. His focus remains on impactful, public-interest journalism which explains how environmental decisions affect people's everyday lives.Read More

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