New Delhi, March 28 The national capital experienced a slight decrease in the minimum temperature and a slight increase in the maximum temperature on a cloudy Saturday.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert for Sunday, predicting light rain and thunderstorms.
The Safdarjung weather station recorded a minimum temperature of 18.8 degrees Celsius, which is 0.7 degrees above normal and a decrease of 1.8 degrees from the previous day. The maximum temperature was recorded at 33.6 degrees Celsius, one degree above normal and an increase of one degree from Friday.
Other weather stations reported similar trends, with Palam recording a maximum temperature of 32.1 degrees Celsius – 1.3 degrees higher than the day before. Palam's minimum temperature was 18.5 degrees Celsius on Saturday, which is 1.1 degrees lower than the previous day.
Although no rain was recorded on Saturday morning, IMD officials noted that cloudy skies persisted in parts of the city throughout the day.
The MeT department has issued a yellow alert for Sunday, predicting very light to light rain, accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds of 30-40 kmph, which is expected to impact the city in the morning hours.
A second spell of very light rain or drizzle, along with thunderstorms and gusty winds, is also expected in the afternoon and evening on Sunday.
IMD officials linked the current unusual weather in March to a series of western disturbances affecting northwest India. These systems have been impacting the region since March 15 and are approaching at a lower altitude than usual, thus affecting weather patterns over Delhi.
The IMD forecasts that the maximum temperature will remain around 31-33 degrees Celsius over the next couple of days. The minimum temperature may see a slight increase due to ongoing cloudy conditions in Delhi and is expected to be around 20-22 degrees Celsius on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Delhi's 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 154 (moderate) at 4 pm on Saturday, as compared to 144 recorded at the same time on Friday, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
According to CPCB standards, an AQI of 0-50 is considered 'good', 51-100 'satisfactory', 101-200 'moderate', 201-300 'poor', 301-400 'very poor', and 401-500 'severe'.
The Air Quality Early Warning System (AQEWS) for Delhi has forecast the AQI to remain in the 'moderate' category for the next few days.
