Showers to continue in Delhi, heat set to return from Tuesday: IMD

Delhi saw brief rain on Saturday, but humidity returned. No rain expected Monday or Tuesday, with temperatures rising to 39-41°C. Air quality may worsen.

The scattered rain that brought brief respite to Delhi and its surrounding areas on Saturday left residents with mixed feelings, as humid heat returned by the afternoon.Forecasts by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) mentioned similar conditions will prevail on Sunday.

People caught in the rain at Kartavya Path in Delhi on Saturday. (Vipin Kumar/HT Photo)

It is not likely to rain on Monday and Tuesday, and the dry westerlies are also expected to lead to a rise in temperature and fall in humidity.

“Cloudy skies persisted throughout Saturday and is expected to continue over the next week as well. Very light rain, accompanied by thunderstorm or lightning and strong surface winds of speed 30-40kmph, gusting upto 50kmph, are expected on Sunday as well,” a Met official said.

Surface winds at 15-25kmph, occasionally rising to 35kmph are expected to continue on Monday and Tuesday as well, the official added.

Mahesh Palawat, vice president at Skymet, said, “There might be isolated rain in parts of Delhi on Sunday but after that, chances are very low. The western disturbance impacting the region will pass. Moreover, the cyclonic circulation over northeast Rajasthan had also been impacting the weather activity, which is expected to subside.”

“Following this, dry westerlies will start flowing in the region, as a result of which temperature is expected to rise and humidity is expected to decrease,” Palawat added.

Safdarjung, representative of Delhi’s weather, received 12.8mm of rain between 11.30am and 2.30pm. Palam received 5.3mm of rain in 24 hours till 8.30am on Saturday and then 3.1mm of rain between 11.30am and 2.30pm. Other weather stations like Lodhi Road and SPS Mayur Vihar received 17.5mm and 13.5mm rainfall in the afternoon as well. No rain was recorded after that till 5.30pm.

Delhi’s maximum temperature was recorded at 35.9 degrees Celsius (°C) on Saturday, which was 3.4°C above normal and down from 36.7°C a day before. The minimum was logged at 25.8°C — marginally up from the normal 25.1°C and Friday’s 25.7°C.

According to forecast by IMD, the maximum temperature is likely to be around 37-38°C on Sunday and then 39-41°C by Tuesday. The minimum, too, is expected to rise and reach 27-29°C by Monday.

The city’s air quality, meanwhile, deteriorated but continued to remain in the “moderate” category. The 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) was recorded at 189 (moderate) at 4pm on Saturday, as compared to 151 the day before, according to Central Pollution Control Board’s daily national bulletin.

Forecasts by Air Quality Early Warning System (AQEWS) for Delhi suggest that the air quality is expected to remain in the “moderate” category for the next two days and then deteriorate to “poor” by Tuesday.

“The air quality is likely to be in the moderate category from Sunday to Monday and poor on Tuesday. The outlook for the subsequent six days is that the air quality is likely to be in the poor to moderate category,” the AQEWS bulletin stated on Saturday evening.