The India Meteorological Department has issued a yellow alert for Delhi-NCR, forecasting light to moderate rain, thunderstorms and gusty winds across the capital on Saturday, September 26. Winds are expected to reach 30 to 40 kilometres per hour, with gusts potentially touching 50 kilometres per hour.
The forecast comes as Delhi experienced cloudy skies and pleasant weather during the day. The IMD said most areas could receive very light to light rain once or twice, while some locations may record moderate showers. Thunder, lightning and strong wind activity are also possible during the day.
An IMD official said another spell of rain could occur between the afternoon and evening. The maximum temperature in Delhi is expected to remain around 33 degrees Celsius, while generally cloudy conditions are likely to persist.
Minimum temperatures fell slightly at several monitoring stations. Safdarjung, considered representative of Delhi’s weather, recorded a minimum temperature of 23.2 degrees Celsius. This was 0.7 degrees below normal and one degree lower than the previous day.
Palam recorded a minimum temperature of 20.5 degrees Celsius, down 0.9 degrees from the previous day. Lodhi Road recorded 22.8 degrees Celsius, while Ayanagar also recorded 22.8 degrees Celsius. At Ayanagar, the minimum temperature was 1.2 degrees lower than the previous day.
The combination of rain, lightning and strong wind has direct implications for the functioning of Delhi’s urban environment, particularly for road users, pedestrians and outdoor workers. The IMD’s yellow alert indicates that weather conditions require residents and local authorities to remain attentive to changing conditions during the forecast period.
Delhi’s air quality remained in the ‘satisfactory’ category on Saturday morning, according to Central Pollution Control Board data. The city recorded an Air Quality Index of 71 at 9 am. The 24-hour average AQI recorded at 4 pm on Friday was 78, also within the ‘satisfactory’ category.
Under CPCB standards, an AQI between zero and 50 is classified as ‘good’, 51 to 100 as ‘satisfactory’, 101 to 200 as ‘moderate’, 201 to 300 as ‘poor’, 301 to 400 as ‘very poor’ and 401 to 500 as ‘severe’. The IMD’s forecast remains in effect for the rest of Saturday, with afternoon-to-evening rain and strong winds identified as the key weather conditions to monitor.
