Rainfall on Monday led to a notable drop in Delhi’s maximum temperature, according to a statement issued by the India Meteorological Department.
A heavy downpour was recorded in the evening hours, with 29.6 mm rainfall measured at the Ridge weather station.
The evening spell of rain cooled the city, bringing down Delhi’s maximum temperature by 1-3°C.
In the past 24 hours, temperatures in the Ridge area fell by 2.6°C, bringing the maximum down to 32.2°C. Meanwhile, the maximum temperature at the city’s base station settled at 33.6°C, which is 1.3°C below normal.
According to the weather department, no major change was noted in Delhi’s minimum temperature, which settled at 27.2°C — within the normal range.
The IMD reported that southeasterly winds blew across Delhi at speeds of up to 11 km/h over the past 24 hours, intensifying to 31 km/h, according to its latest forecast issued at 6:15 p.m. on July 21.
The Met Department has forecast light to moderate rainfall over Delhi on July 22 with light rain thereafter. No colour-coded alert has been issued. Temperatures are expected to stay near normal, with maximums ranging between 32°C and 34°C and minimums between 26°C and 27°C.
According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the capital’s average AQI on Monday, recorded up to 4 pm, stood at 93 — falling within the ‘satisfactory’ range. Ozone and PM10 were identified as the major pollutants at 35 of the 39 monitoring stations.
As per CPCB classification, an AQI between 0 and 50 is ‘good’, 51 to 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 to 200 ‘moderate’, 201 to 300 ‘poor’, 301 to 400 ‘very poor’, and 401 to 500 ‘severe’.