Rains bring relief, Delhi-NCR sees dip in temperature, cleaner air

Heavy rain lashed Delhi and neighbouring areas on Monday, bringing down temperatures and improving the city’s air quality. According to India Meteorological Department (IMD) data recorded until 5:30 pm, Safdarjung, the city’s base station, logged a minimum temperature of 23.6°C, nearly 4°C below normal. The maximum temperature settled at 33.6°C, about 1.9°C below the seasonal average.

The Met department reported 15.8 mm of rainfall at Safdarjung by 5:30 pm, while other parts of the city recorded higher precipitation. Rainfall measured 24.3 mm at Pragati Maidan, 18.5 mm at Lodhi Road, 16.5 mm at Pusa, and 15.5 mm at Ayanagar.

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The rain also led to a noticeable decline in air pollution levels across the capital.

According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi’s average Air Quality Index (AQI) on Monday stood at 59, a 20-point drop from the previous day’s reading of 79, remaining in the ‘satisfactory’ range. Carbon monoxide (CO) and particulate matter (PM10) were identified as the major pollutants.

As per CPCB classification, 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’.

Despite the below-normal temperatures, humidity levels remained high, ranging between 70% and 100%. Winds reaching speeds of up to 15 km/h, gusting to 33 km/h, and dense cloud cover helped cool the city further.

For the next few days, the IMD has forecast very light to light rainfall accompanied by lightning and thunderstorms across Delhi. Maximum and minimum temperatures are expected to remain near normal, with lows around 25°C and wind speeds ranging between 20 and 30 km/h, occasionally gusting up to 40 km/h, according to IMD data.