Delhi likely to witness rainfall today, tomorrow: Weather agency

Some areas in Delhi may receive light drizzle on Thursday evening or night, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Wednesday, issuing a yellow alert — which warns the public of a weather phenomenon — for light rain and gusty winds for Friday.

Some areas in Delhi may receive light drizzle on Thursday evening or night, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Wednesday, issuing a yellow alert — which warns the public of a weather phenomenon — for light rain and gusty winds for Friday.

Delhi residents woke up to haze and a cloudy sky on Wednesday. (Raj K Raj/HT Photo)

Delhi witnessed a hazy morning on Wednesday owing to high moisture and relatively calm winds.

Kuldeep Srivastava, scientist at IMD, said the haze seen in the early hours of Wednesday was primarily due to high moisture content in the air, coming from northwest Rajasthan and parts of Haryana. “While these locations received rain, Delhi mainly saw a cloudy sky, particularly in the morning. With a fresh western disturbance approaching, there are chances of a drizzle on Thursday evening or night in some areas, but the main rain activity will happen on Friday,” he said.

The haze led to the Capital’s pollution levels returning to the “moderate” zone. Delhi recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) reading of 164, according to Central Pollution Control Board’s daily bulletin — a spike from Tuesday’s reading of 75 — the first time that the air quality was “satisfactory” since October 11, 2022, when the AQI reading was 66.

An AQI reading between zero and 50 is considered “good”, 51 and 100 “satisfactory”, and 101 and 200 “moderate”.

Delhi’s maximum temperature on Wednesday was recorded at 28.7 degrees Celsius (°C) – two degrees below normal. It was 25.8°C on Tuesday. The minimum temperature was 14.1°C, the same as Tuesday.

A forecast by the Early Warning System for Delhi showed the AQI could deteriorate further to “poor” on Thursday due to similar conditions prevailing in the next 24 hours. “The air quality is likely to then improve and reach the ‘moderate’ category on Friday and Saturday,” it said.