Heavy rains bring relief to Delhi; IMD predicts more thunderstorms ahead

Delhi witnessed a sudden change in weather as heavy showers lashed various parts of the city on Saturday afternoon, bringing significant relief from the heat and causing a noticeable drop in temperatures.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had forecast the possibility of a thunderstorm later in the evening. The maximum and minimum temperatures recorded were 37.3°C and 27.8°C, respectively.

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While no further heatwaves are expected, the city is likely to see cloudy skies and moderate to light rainfall over the next 6–7 days.

Earlier, the IMD had issued a warning for heavy to very heavy rainfall in parts of Northwest India, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Konkan-Goa from June 21 to June 26.

According to data released on Saturday, Delhi’s air quality remained in the ‘satisfactory’ category, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 85, as per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51 to 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 to 200 ‘moderate’, 201 to 300 ‘poor’, 301 to 400 ‘very poor’, and 401 to 500 ‘severe’.

On Friday, the capital recorded its cleanest air since September last year, with AQI readings of 89, 80, and 96 on June 19, 18, and 17 respectively — all falling within the ‘satisfactory’ range. On Monday, the AQI was in the ‘moderate’ category at 111.