Light rain expected post-noon in Delhi, air quality improves

Overcast weather and light rain expected in Delhi post-Thursday noon due to an active western disturbance. Minimum temperature dips by 4 degrees, air quality improves. Maximum temperature to hover around 35°C, light showers expected on Friday. AQI in the "satisfactory" range.

Overcast weather and light rain were expected post-Thursday noon in Delhi due to an active western disturbance even as the minimum temperature dipped by four degrees and the air quality improved to the “satisfactory category”. The maximum temperature was expected to hover around 35°C.

The air quality improved to the “satisfactory category”. (Hindustan Times)

Parts of the capital received light rainfall on Wednesday. Delhi’s maximum temperature dipped from 43.5°C on Tuesday to 34.7°C on Wednesday. A minimum temperature of 22.6°C was recorded on Thursday compared to 25.4°C a day earlier.

India Meteorological Department scientist Kuldeep Srivastava said light showers were also expected on Friday. He added similar weather is likely to persist until May 30 and the maximum will remain below 40°C until the end of the month.

Observatories in Jafarpur, Narela, and Sports Complex recorded 0.5mm rainfall each until 5.30pm on Wednesday while the Ridge station recorded trace rainfall.

Delhi has recorded 60.4mm of rainfall so far in May. This is almost double the normal monthly mark of 30.7mm. In May 2022, Delhi received 47.7mm of rainfall. It received 144.8mm of rainfall in May 2021. The all-time rainfall record for May is 165mm (2008).

The spell of rain on Wednesday accompanied by strong winds improved Delhi’s air quality to the “satisfactory’ category. The average Air Quality Index (AQI) was 94 at 9am on Thursday morning. On Wednesday, Delhi recorded an AQI of 158 (moderate) at 4pm. The AQI is likely to remain in the satisfactory range until Friday.

An AQI between 0-50 is considered as “good”, 51 and 100 “satisfactory”, between 101 and 200 “moderate”, 201 and 300 “poor”, between 301 and 400 “very poor”. and over 400 as “severe”.