Mercury rises as showers snap Delhi’s 91-day dry streak

The Capital received rain in two spells -- drizzle between midnight and 2.30am on Thursday morning, and a second stint at 5-6pm.

Parts of Delhi received rain on Thursday due to a western disturbance affecting the region, India Meteorological Department officials said, raising visibility and the minimum temperature in the city.

A person crossing the road at Connaught Place as it rains on Thursday evening. (Raj K Raj/HT Photo)

The Capital received rain in two spells -- drizzle between midnight and 2.30am on Thursday morning, and a second stint at 5-6pm -- snapping a 91-day dry period in the city. However, the stations at Safdarjung and Ridge recorded only trace rainfall, IMD data showed.

Delhi had last received rain on October 12, 2022, when the Safdarjung observatory logged 0.4mm of rainfall.

The city on Thursday recorded a minimum temperature of 9.3 degrees Celsius (°C) -- 2 degrees above normal for this time of the year, and considerably higher than Wednesday’s low of 5.9°C. Delhi also recorded a maximum of 21.6°C, 1.4 degrees above Wednesday’s high of 20.2°C and 2 degrees above normal for this time of the year.

“The impact of the western disturbance will remain in place till Friday and easterly-southeasterly winds will be blowing towards Delhi. From Saturday, cold northwesterly winds will return and both maximum and minimum will begin to dip. However, the drop in minimum and maximum will be gradual from January 14-16,” a Met official said.

Due to the rain, the Capital also only reported shallow fog on Thursday, with visibility dropping to 500m at 6.30-7.30am at both Safdarjung and Palam stations. In comparison, visibility at both these weather stations fell as low as 50m on Wednesday at 4.30-5.30am.

Forecasts show Delhi is likely to record moderate fog in the next three days, while moderate to dense fog is expected on January 16.

Delhi’s pollution levels meanwhile deteriorated but remained in the ‘very poor’ zone, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 371 according to the Central Pollution Control Board’s national bulletin released at 4pm -- a spike from Wednesday’s reading of 308.

Forecasts by the Early Warning System (EWS), used by Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR, shows Delhi’s AQI is likely to remain in the ‘very poor’ till January 15.

Mahesh Palawat, vice president at private weather forecaster Skymet, said the cold spell in the current winter season is expected to hit its peak between January 16 and 18. “For Safdarjung, the minimum may dip to 3-4°C during this spell, with isolated parts touching 2°C. Another western disturbance is then expected by January 18 night, which will once again raise the temperature,” he said.

However, if forecasts by an independent weatherman are to be believed, the minimum could drop even lower in the northern plains, dipping below 0°C in several places. “This is likely to be an extreme coldwave spell for the northern plains, peaking between January 16 and 18. In some parts of Delhi, the minimum could touch close to 0°C,” said Navdeep Dahiya, an amateur weatherman who runs ‘Live Weather of India’.