Delhi residents may once again experience rainfall as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast fresh precipitation in the national capital. Cold conditions continue to prevail in Delhi, with the maximum temperature on Thursday (January 29) recorded at 17.9 degrees Celsius, 4.2 degrees below the seasonal average. According to IMD, the city is likely to witness rain accompanied by thunderstorms between January 31 and February 2.
IMD has also warned that Saturday morning (January 29) may begin with moderate fog in several areas and dense fog in isolated pockets. As the day progresses, cloud cover is expected to increase across the city. There is a possibility of light rain during the night, accompanied by thunder, lightning and winds gusting at 30-40 kmph.
Temperatures Across Delhi-NCR Remain Below Normal
Data from various weather stations show that daytime temperatures across Delhi-NCR remained below normal, with Palam recording the sharpest dip. Safdarjung reported a maximum temperature of 17.9 degrees Celsius, while the minimum settled at 11.0 degrees, 2.6 degrees above normal but 1.6 degrees lower than the previous day.
At Palam, the maximum temperature was recorded at 15.3 degrees Celsius, which is 6.8 degrees below normal, while the minimum stood at 9.4 degrees, slightly above average. Lodhi Road recorded a maximum of 17.8 degrees and a minimum of 10.4 degrees. Ridge station saw a high of 18.5 degrees and a low of 10.1 degrees, while Ayanagar recorded a maximum of 16.2 degrees and a minimum of 10.4 degrees Celsius.
Minimum Temperature May Drop to 7°C on January 31
Delhi has witnessed an unusually active cold spell this month. In a statement, IMD said that for the first time this season, two active western disturbances between January 22–24 and January 26–28 triggered major rainfall spells across northwest India, including Delhi, along with thunderstorms, strong winds and hailstorms. The minimum temperature in the capital may fall to around 7 degrees Celsius on January 31, while the maximum is expected to hover near 20 degrees.
Highest January Rainfall Since 2022
IMD has also forecast the possibility of light rain at night, along with thunder, lightning and strong winds of 30-40 kmph. On Tuesday, heavy rain and thunderstorms in parts of Delhi led to a sudden deterioration in air quality, pushing it into the ‘very poor’ category. With this spell, Delhi has received 24 mm of rainfall so far this January, the highest for the month since 2022.
The wettest January day in recent years was January 8, 2022, when the city recorded 40.6 mm of rain. This year, Delhi received 19.8 mm of rainfall on January 23, while Safdarjung recorded 4.2 mm on Tuesday. Light rain at other stations by 5:30 pm pushed the cumulative January rainfall to 24 mm, making it the highest in the past four years, excluding 2022.
Delhi AQI Remains in ‘Poor’ Category
As per IMD’s forecast, Delhi is expected to remain generally cloudy on Friday, with light to moderate fog during morning hours. The minimum and maximum temperatures are likely to be around 10 degrees Celsius and 19 degrees Celsius, respectively. Data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) showed that the average Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 226 at 4 pm, placing it in the ‘poor’ category.
According to CPCB norms, AQI levels between 201 and 300 fall under the ‘poor’ category. Data from the CPCB’s Sameer app indicated that 21 stations were in the ‘poor’ category, 16 in ‘moderate’ and two in the ‘very poor’ category. Pusa recorded the worst AQI at 309.
As per the Decision Support System, the transport sector contributed 14.9 per cent to Delhi’s air pollution, followed by inter-state industries at 11.7 per cent, residential sources at 3.7 per cent, construction activities at 2.0 per cent and waste burning at 1.4 per cent. The air quality warning system has indicated that Delhi’s AQI is likely to remain in the ‘very poor’ category till February 1.