Max temperature in Delhi hits 17.9 deg C; IMD forecasts rain, thunderstorms

Delhi recorded its highest January rainfall in four years since 2022 as heavy rain and thunderstorms battered parts of the national capital on Tuesday, triggering a sudden deterioration in air quality, which plunged into the very poor category.

Delhi experienced chilly weather on Thursday, with the maximum temperature settling at 17.9 degrees Celsius, 4.2 degrees Celsiusbelow the seasonal average, the meteorological department said. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted rain and thunderstorms between January 31 and February 2. Station-wise data showed that day temperatures across Delhi-NCR remained below normal, with Palam recording the sharpest departure. At Safdarjung, the maximum temperature was recorded at 17.9 degrees Celsius. The minimum temperature settled at 11.0 degrees Celsius, 2.6 degrees above normal but 1.6 degrees Celsius lower than the previous day's 12.6 degrees Celsius. At Palam, the maximum temperature stood at 15.3 degrees Celsius, 6.8 notches below normal. The minimum temperature was recorded at 9.4 degrees Celsius, 1.0 degrees above normal. Lodhi Road recorded a maximum temperature of 17.8 degrees Celsius, 3.2 notches below normal and the minimum temperature settled at 10.4 degrees Celsius, 2.4 notches above normal. At the Ridge, the maximum temperature was logged at 18.5 degrees Celsius, 3.5 notches below normal. The minimum temperature stood at 10.1 degrees Celsius, 0.1 degrees above normal. Ayanagar recorded a maximum temperature of 16.2 degrees Celsius, 5.8 notches below normal. The minimum temperature was logged at 10.4 degrees Celsius, 1.4 degrees above normal. The national capital also experienced an unusually active spell of winter weather this month. For the first time this season, two major wet spells accompanied by thunderstorms, gusty winds, and hailstorms occurred across northwest India, including Delhi, due to two active Western Disturbances between January 22-24 and January 26-28, the IMD said in a statement. The month may also end with a light spell of rain accompanied by a thunderstorm on January 31, as the minimum temperature may dip further to around 7 degrees Celsius, while the maximum is expected to be close to 20 degrees Celsius. Saturday may begin with moderate fog at many places and dense fog at isolated locations, while skies are likely to turn generally cloudy towards the afternoon and evening, IMD said. ''There is also a possibility of a spell of very light rain accompanied by thunderstorm activity, lightning, and gusty winds reaching speeds of 30-40 kmph during the night,'' IMD added. Delhi recorded its highest January rainfall in four years since 2022 as heavy rain and thunderstorms battered parts of the national capital on Tuesday, triggering a sudden deterioration in air quality, which plunged into the 'very poor' category. With the latest spell of rain, Delhi's monthly total rainfall for January has risen to 24 mm, making it the highest January total since 2022. The wettest January day in recent years remains January 8, 2022, when the city recorded 40.6 mm of rainfall. This month, Delhi received 19.8 mm of rainfall on January 23, and Tuesday's spell added 4.2 mm at Safdarjung, along with a trace of rain at other stations till 5.30 pm, taking the cumulative January rainfall to 24 mm, the highest for the month in four years, barring the 2022 peak event. According to the IMD forecast, Delhi is likely to see generally cloudy skies on Friday with shallow to moderate fog during the morning hours. The minimum and maximum temperatures are expected to hover around 10 degrees Celsius and 19 degrees Celsius, respectively. The average Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 226 in the 'poor' category at 4 pm, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) said. According to the CPCB, an AQI between 0 and 50 is classified 'good', 51 to 100 'satisfactory', 101 to 200 'moderate', 201 to 300 'poor', 301 to 400 'very poor', and 401 to 500 'severe'. As per CPCB's SAMEER app, 21 stations were in the 'poor' category, followed by 16 stations in the 'moderate' category and 2 stations in the 'very poor' category. Pusa recorded the worst AQI at 309. According to the Decision Support System, Delhi's transport sector contributed up to 14.9 per cent to air pollution, followed by inter-peripheral industries at 11.7 per cent, residential sources at 3.7 per cent, construction activities at 2.0 per cent, and waste burning at 1.4 per cent. The air quality is likely to be in the Very Poor category from tomorrow to February 1, according to the air quality warning system.

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