Overnight rains and cloudy conditions on Saturday night kept temperatures in Delhi below the seasonal average, with the minimum temperature second-lowest for September since 2001, as per data by the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The rain also brought a sharp improvement in the air quality.
The minimum temperature was recorded at 21°C, 2.9 degrees below normal, and only marginal higher than 20.8°C logged on September 6, 2008. This was the lowest September minimum after 2000, when the minimum was logged at 20.6 on September 29.
It was the second-lowest AQI recorded in the Capital this year, after 48 on July 9. The maximum temperature at Safdarjung was 30.6°C, which was 3.7 degrees below normal. The IMD said maximum temperatures across Delhi had fallen by 3-4°C and minimum temperatures by 1-2°C over the preceding 24 hours.
Meanwhile, Delhi’s 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) stood at 53 — “satisfactory” category — on Sunday, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). “The minimum temperatures are markedly below normal at isolated places,” the weather department said in its Sunday bulletin.
The maximum temperature is expected to remain between 30°C and 32°C with the minimum in the 20-22°C range. For Monday, the IMD has forecast a generally cloudy sky, with a spell of very light to light rain possible at a few places towards afternoon and evening.
An IMD official said the current weather conditions were linked to the well-marked low-pressure area over northern parts of central Uttar Pradesh, which is expected to move north-northwestwards and weaken gradually by next week.
