Delhi weather: Cloudy sky with a chance of light rain today

Delhi weather today: The minimum temperature on Monday is likely to be 26 degrees Celsius (°C) while the maximum temperature is predicted to reach 35°C

With monsoon likely to hit the national Capital this week, Delhi may witness cloudy sky with light rain on Monday as per India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast.

A woman and her child shop for umbrellas at Janpath amid the scorching heat in New Delhi on July 5. (HT file)

The minimum temperature on Monday is likely to be 26 degrees Celsius (°C) while the maximum temperature is predicted to reach 35°C. The minimum temperature on Sunday was 28.8°C – one notch above the normal and the maximum temperature was 39°C– three degrees above the normal.

Monsoon forecast by IMD was off the mark for the fourth time this season on Sunday. On Saturday, IMD’s daily bulletin said monsoon rain will take “another 24 hours” to reach the Capital. The bulletin repeated this on Sunday.

This is the second most delayed monsoon onset in Delhi since the IMD began documenting the arrival dates in 1920. The only time that the arrival of the monsoon was later than this was on July 19, 2002. The usual onset date for Delhi is June 29.

Meanwhile, Delhi’s air quality was in the satisfactory category on Monday morning. Data from Central Pollution Control Board showed that the hourly air quality index (AQI) at 7am stood at 96. On Sunday, the average 24-hour AQI had been 94, which is also in the satisfactory category.

An AQI between zero and 50 is considered good, 51 and 100 satisfactory, 101 and 200 moderate, 201 and 300 poor, 301 and 400 very poor, and 401 and 500 severe.

Due to the rain, air quality in the national Capital is also expected to stay in the satisfactory category this week. On Sunday, the Union ministry of earth science’s air quality monitoring centre, System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (Safar) said, “The overall air quality is in the satisfactory category as forecasted. Surface winds are moderate and in east southeasterly direction. Increased rainfall activity is likely to influence AQI positively. As part of the advancing monsoon over the region, widespread rainfall is very likely during the next few days. Satisfactory to good AQI is forecasted for the next three days.”