Delhi recorded a sharp fall in daytime temperature on Saturday as rain and gusty thunderstorms swept parts of the capital, prompting the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to issue a yellow alert for several districts shortly after the Southwest Monsoon was officially withdrawn from the city.
The maximum temperature at Safdarjung, Delhi’s primary weather station, settled at 29.2 degrees Celsius, which was 5.1 degrees below normal and 3.8 degrees lower than Friday’s reading of 33 degrees Celsius. The minimum temperature was 23.2 degrees Celsius, 0.7 degrees below normal and one degree lower than the previous day.
The city remained dry through the morning before light post-monsoon showers began in parts of Delhi during the afternoon. According to the IMD’s three-hour rainfall bulletin issued at 5:40 pm, Mayur Vihar recorded the highest rainfall at 1.0 mm between 2:30 pm and 5:30 pm. Lodhi Road recorded 0.5 mm and Safdarjung 0.2 mm during the same period, while the Ridge and Ayanagar observatories reported traces of rain.
The IMD had forecast generally cloudy skies, with one or two spells of very light to light rain at most places and moderate rainfall in several pockets during the afternoon and evening. The yellow alert placed northern, northwestern, northeastern, western, central, Shahdara and eastern parts of Delhi under a “Watch / Be Updated” advisory for light showers and lightning.
IMD officials attributed the weather system to a depression centred over northeast Madhya Pradesh and adjoining north Chhattisgarh. The system was moving north-northwest towards southeastern Uttar Pradesh, alongside a mid-tropospheric Western Disturbance, according to the weather department.
The rain did not lead to a deterioration in Delhi’s air quality on Saturday. The Central Pollution Control Board recorded a 24-hour average Air Quality Index of 72 at 4 pm, compared with 78 on Friday. Under CPCB standards, an AQI between 51 and 100 is classified as satisfactory, while readings from 0 to 50 are considered good.
The wet spell came days after the official retreat of the Southwest Monsoon from Delhi on September 23, two days before its normal withdrawal date of September 25. Safdarjung recorded 728.6 mm of cumulative rainfall from June 1, compared with the long-period average of 629.7 mm. The season therefore ended with rainfall 16% above normal, according to official data.
The IMD forecast generally cloudy skies for Sunday, with dry conditions expected to return thereafter. The capital is forecast to see mainly clear skies next week, while prevailing northwesterly winds in October are expected to bring cooler air to the city.
