Hot, humid days ahead, no major rainfall likely in Delhi next week: IMD

Delhi experienced a hot, humid Sunday with brief drizzles, no major rainfall expected for six days, and a maximum temperature of 35.5°C.

Sunday in Delhi was largely hot and humid, though isolated areas experienced brief drizzles. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast no major rainfall over the next six days, but high humidity is expected to persist.

Clouds above Nizamuddin in New Delhi on Sunday. (Sanchit Khanna/HT Photo)

Temperatures rose slightly, with the maximum reaching 35.5°C—up from Saturday’s 34.5°C. However, the intense humidity, ranging from 59% to 87%, made conditions feel much hotter, pushing the Heat Index or “feels like” temperature to 43.3°C at 2.30pm.

According to IMD, Monday’s maximum is likely to dip to between 32°C and 34°C. Sunday’s minimum temperature was 26.2°C, with average wind speeds of 8 km/hr, mostly from the south and southwest. Air quality stayed within the “satisfactory” range.

“No colour-coded warning has been issued for the city. We expect only light to very light rain in Delhi until a strong weather system develops around it,” an IMD official said. Data showed only Narela in north Delhi received rainfall, logging 0.5mm between 2.30 PM and 5.30 PM. IMD had forecast very light rain in isolated areas later in the day, but most of the city stayed dry.

A well-marked low-pressure area persists over west Rajasthan and adjoining Pakistan. The system, with an associated cyclonic circulation extending up to mid-tropospheric levels, is expected to move westwards and gradually weaken over the next 12 hours. “The monsoon trough at mean sea level continues to pass through the centre of this low-pressure area and covers Churu, Ayanagar (Delhi), Shahjahanpur, Lucknow, Patna, Bankura, Digha and into the northeast Bay of Bengal,” IMD said.

Once the system weakens, the trough is expected to shift northward towards the Himalayan foothills, potentially triggering heavy rain in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh between July 20 and 24. IMD has advised people to avoid travel to these states during this period.

Delhi’s air quality remained in the “satisfactory” range. The 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) stood at 75 (satisfactory) at 4 PM on Sunday, up from 54 (satisfactory) on Saturday.