Light rain, gusty winds cool down Delhi

Wednesday was the second day in the row that the Capital received rainfall, and Met officials have said that the intensity of rain is expected to increase on Thursday.

Parts of Delhi recorded light showers on Wednesday, which accompanied by gusty winds of 30-40 kmph lowered the temperature in the city. Safdarjung, Delhi’s base weather station, recorded a maximum temperature of 33.6 degrees Celsius on Wednesday -- 1.8°C degrees lower than Tuesday’s maximum but around normal for this time of the year.

New Delhi, India - Sept. 14, 2022: Visitors take shelter from rain on Kartavya Path near India Gate in New Delhi, India, on Wednesday, September 14, 2022. (Photo by Sanchit Khanna/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times)

The Safdarjung station recorded 9.6 mm of rain between 8.30 am and 5.30 pm on Wednesday, while the station at Lodhi Road recorded 10.4mm of rain during the same period. Other stations that recorded rain included Mayur Vihar (8.5mm), Ridge (4.8mm), Palam (2.8mm), Ayanagar (3mm) and Pusa (4mm).

Wednesday was the second day in the row that the Capital received rainfall, and Met officials have said that the intensity of rain is expected to increase on Thursday.

India Meteorological Department (IMD) scientist RK Jenamani said this three-day spell of rain is on account of a depression which formed over Odisha and has moved towards northwest India, sending easterly winds with moisture towards Delhi-NCR. “As this depression has moved closer, we are seeing the effect of these strong easterly winds, which has led to an increase in the speed of surface winds locally. The moisture is also leading to cloudy skies, which has led to a drop in mercury,” he said.

Mahesh Palawat, vice president at private weather forecaster Skymet, said the intensity of rain will reduce from Friday evening onwards, with no rain expected in the region from September 17-20.

Despite the gusty winds in the Capital, the city’s air quality remained in the ‘satisfactory’ range on Wednesday, with an overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of 71 recorded as per Central Pollution Control Board’s daily national bulletin released at 4 pm -- a marginal decrease from the 72 (satisfactory) on Tuesday.

After Wednesday’s rainfall, the Safdarjung station has recorded 27.8mm of rainfall this month so far -- a significant deficit from the monthly normal of 84.3mm of rain the city should have received by September 14.