Delhi residents woke up to cloudy skies on Saturday morning, followed by light rain in some parts of the national capital, bringing relief from the heat. This comes a day after the city was lashed by record-breaking rainfall, accompanied by strong winds and lightning.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast light to moderate rainfall for the national capital for today, likely to be accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds. According to the weather department, a similar weather pattern will be observed in the capital till May 8.
According to the IMD, Delhi recorded 0.8 mm of rain in the past 24 hours between 8:30 AM on Friday and 8:30 AM on Saturday. The relative humidity at 8.30 am stood at 82 per cent.
Meanwhile, the minimum temperature on Saturday was 22.2 degrees Celsius, 2.5 degrees below the season's average. The weather department has forecast the maximum temperature to hover around 34 degrees Celsius.
Delhi on Friday witnessed one of its wettest May days in recent history. According to the data shared by IMD, the Safdarjung weather station recorded 77 mm of rain within just six hours, from 2:30 AM to 8:30 AM. The rain spell was the second-highest 24-hour rainfall in May in the city since record-keeping began in 1901.
As of now, the highest record is 119.3 mm, which fell in a single day in May 2021.The previous highest record was 60 mm, which was recorded on May 24, 1976.
AQI Improves In Delhi After Heavy Rain
Following the rain in the capital on Friday, the Air Quality Index (AQI) improved, reaching 'moderate' category with a reading of 152 at 9:00 AM, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data showed.
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'.