New Delhi, March 15 Several areas of the national capital experienced light rainfall on Sunday morning, providing much-needed relief from the prevailing dry conditions, the India Meteorological Department said.
The department stated that 8 mm of rainfall was recorded until 8:30 am.
According to data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Safdarjung and Lodhi Road each recorded 0.8 mm of rainfall, while Palam received 0.4 mm. Ayanagar recorded 2.6 mm of rainfall and Pitampura 3.5 mm, the highest among the stations.
Additionally, Mayur Vihar recorded 1.0 mm of rainfall and Janakpuri 0.5 mm, while Ridge reported only a trace of rainfall.
"Due to a western disturbance approaching the western Himalayas, cyclonic activity has developed over central Pakistan bordering Punjab and Haryana. As a result, parts of Delhi experienced rainfall," Mahesh Palawat, Vice President of Meteorology and Climate Change at Skymet Weather, said.
He said that the rain is also expected on the following day, and it is the season's first pre-monsoon rain, which has arrived about 10 days earlier than usual.
The advancing weather has been triggered by the western disturbance combined with the higher temperature the city has been experiencing over the past few days, he added.
The maximum temperature was recorded at 30.1 degrees Celsius, 1.2 notches above the seasonal average, whereas the minimum temperature was recorded at 18.7 degrees Celsius, which was 3.6 notches above the seasonal average.
The relative humidity fluctuated between 80 per cent and 28 per cent during the day.
The weather office has predicted a partly cloudy sky for Monday, with maximum and minimum temperatures expected to hover around 32 degrees and 15 degrees Celsius, respectively.
The AQI stood in the 'moderate' category at 4 pm, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) reading of 175, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
According to the CPCB, an AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', and 401 and 500 'severe'.
PRK