Parts of Delhi receive light rain, AQI improves to ‘poor’ category

Western disturbances bring warmer easterly winds, with overcast skies often raising minimum temperature by trapping heat at night but making days cooler.

Some parts of Delhi received light rainfall in the early hours of Tuesday, improving the air quality to the lower end of the ‘poor’ category. The average air quality index (AQI) stood at 247 (poor) at 9am, an improvement from 286 (poor) at 4pm on Monday.

A person opens the umbrella during morning walk at Kartavya Path in New Delhi on Tuesday. (Arvind Yadav/ HT Photo)

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in NCR a day ago lifted stage-3 measures of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said parts of central, north and southwest Delhi recorded drizzle to very light rain in the capital. There is also a chance of another spell of light rain in the later part of the day.

Safdarjung, representative of Delhi’s weather, received 0.3mm in the 24 hours till 8:30 am on Tuesday. Lodhi road recorded 0.4mm. Meanwhile, Palam, Ridge and Ayanagar all recorded ‘trace’ rainfall – equivalent to a brief drizzle.

“The rain was on account of a western disturbance, which will keep partially cloudy skies till Wednesday. A second western disturbance is expected to influence the region from February 8,” an IMD official said.

Western disturbances bring warmer easterly winds, with overcast skies often raising minimum temperature by trapping heat at night but making days cooler. Delhi’s minimum temperature was 12.8°C on Tuesday, four degrees above normal. It was 10.2°C a day earlier.

The maximum was 24.4°C on Monday, but partially cloudy skies should bring down the maximum between 20-22°C on Tuesday, forecasts show.