Moderate showers in Delhi today; mercury to drop further

Delhi’s air quality was in the satisfactory category on Monday morning. Data from Central Pollution Control Board showed that the hourly AQI at 7am stood at 82. On Sunday, the average 24-hour AQI was 94, which is also in the satisfactory category

Parts of Delhi witnessed rain on Monday morning with moderate showers likely to take place in several areas throughout the day, as per India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast.

A man walks past Vijay Chowk during rains in New Delhi. (File photo)

The minimum temperature on Monday is likely to be 25 degrees Celsius (°C) while the maximum temperature is predicted to reach 32°C. The minimum temperature on Sunday was 28°C – one notch above the normal and the maximum temperature was 36.4°C – one degree above the normal.

The IMD, which got a series of predictions wrong over the arrival of the monsoon in the last month, had forecast heavy rainfall over the weekend and issued an “orange” alert.

However, parts of the city witnessed heavy rainfall only on Sunday night with most areas witnessing little to no rainfall over the weekend.

Meanwhile, Delhi’s air quality was in the satisfactory category on Monday morning. Data from Central Pollution Control Board showed that the hourly air quality index (AQI) at 7am stood at 82. On Sunday, the average 24-hour AQI was 94, which is also in the satisfactory category.

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.

Due to the rain, air quality in the national Capital is also expected to stay in the satisfactory category this week. On Sunday, the Union ministry of earth science’s air quality monitoring centre, System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (Safar) said, “The overall air quality is in the satisfactory category as forecasted. The southwest monsoon has covered the entire country. Increased rainfall activity is likely to influence AQI positively. Widespread rainfall is forecasted for next three days. Satisfactory to good AQI is forecasted for the next three days.”