Light rain expected due to western disturbance

Kuldeep Srivastava, head of IMD’s regional weather forecasting centre, said, “We are expecting light rain in the morning on account of a western disturbance. The wind speed is also likely to pick up.”

The city might receive light rain on Friday due to a western disturbance, as per the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) forecast. The IMD has predicted spells of light rain on Friday across parts of Delhi and NCR.

The city’s air quality entered the poor zone on Thursday, recording an air quality index (AQI) reading of 268 on the Central Pollution Control Board’s daily bulletin, a rise from Wednesday’s AQI reading of 122 (moderate). (HT_PRINT)

Kuldeep Srivastava, head of IMD’s regional weather forecasting centre, said, “We are expecting light rain in the morning on account of a western disturbance. The wind speed is also likely to pick up.”

The city’s air quality entered the poor zone on Thursday, recording an air quality index (AQI) reading of 268 on the Central Pollution Control Board’s daily bulletin, a rise from Wednesday’s AQI reading of 122 (moderate).

Experts attributed the deterioration to calm surface wind conditions on Thursday.

The level of ultrafine particulate matter having a diameter of 2.5 microns or less (PM 2.5), the city’s primary pollutant, was 156.52 micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m³) on Thursday, as per the CPCB’s air quality monitor at Vikas Sadan in Sector 11. At the official monitor in Sector 51, the PM 2.5 concentration stood at 182.62 µg/m3 on Thursday. The PM 2.5 concentration at Teri Gram monitor stood at 232.56 µg/m3.

According to the early air quality warning system for Delhi-NCR, the air quality likely to improve and remain in the moderate category on Friday and Saturday due to rain and better ventilation. “There is a possibility of very light rain/thundershowers accompanied by gusty winds (speed-30-40 kmph) towards evening/night on Thursday. Subsequently, over the next five days, the air quality is likely to remain in the moderate to poor category.”

The minimum temperature on Thursday, as per the IMD’s weather system at the Palam observatory in Delhi, was 19.1 degrees Celsius, while the maximum temperature was 33.4 degrees Celsius, four degrees above the normal for this time of the year and a two-degree rise from the previous day’s 31.8 degrees Celsius.

As per the IMD’s weekly forecast, the maximum and minimum temperatures are expected to hover around 29 and 19 degrees Celsius respectively on Friday. While light rain or drizzle is expected on Thursday night, a thunderstorm with hail has been predicted for Friday.