Mercury crashes 10 degrees after day-long rain in Delhi, hampers traffic
IMD data showed that between Friday 8.30am and Saturday 8.30pm, Delhi had received 69.2mm -- more than four times the revised monthly normal rainfall for October, which is just 15.1mm.
Mercury dipped to a new low in the Capital on Saturday with incessant rain since Friday morning continuing on Saturday as the city logged 43.9mm rain between 8.30am and 8.30pm, according to IMD data.
IMD data showed that between Friday 8.30am and Saturday 8.30pm, Delhi had received 69.2mm -- more than four times the revised monthly normal rainfall for October, which is just 15.1mm.
The maximum temperature dipped 10 degrees Celsius below normal on Saturday to settle at 23.4 -- lowest since 23.9 recorded on October 19, last year, India Meteorological Department (IMD) data showed. The minimum temperature settled at 20.8 degrees.
IMD scientists said the recent rains in Delhi are occurring under the influence of a trough that runs from the cyclonic circulation over coastal Andhra Pradesh to Uttarakhand across Telangana, west Madhya Pradesh and west Uttar Pradesh in lower tropospheric levels. This, they added, is resulting in heavy showers in these states and is also aiding cloudy conditions and light showers in its peripheries, including Delhi.
According to RK Jenamani, IMD scientist, moderate rainfall in Delhi may continue tomorrow as well. “All 12 stations in Delhi received rainfall today. Moderate rainfall will continue till tomorrow. No warning is being issued because the rainfall is likely to reduce tomorrow. The sky will remain cloudy. Also, there is no significant rainfall from October 10 onwards, but drizzling or light rain may happen,” said Jenamani.
The air quality in Delhi also improved a notch with the city recording an overall AQI of 56, in the satisfactory category, compared to 57 on Friday. It was the third successive day on which the air quality in the city remained in the satisfactory category. To be sure, October 21 had three satisfactory air days.
Also, air quality monitoring stations at least five places, including Siri Fort, Dwarka sector 8, and Najafagarh recorded air quality in the good category. Najafgarh in the south western part of the national Capital recorded an AQI of 19.
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. Around this time every year, Delhi’s air quality sometimes drops to poor or very poor levels, even severe prompting the government to take host of measures as an immediate remedy to reduce pollution.
