Delhi on Saturday received the highest rainfall in a day in March in the past three years, as per the India Meteorological Department (IMD). It received a record 12 mm of rainfall in a 24-hour period ending at 8:30 am as heavy rain lashed parts of the national capital on Friday evening.
Delhi's primary weather station, Safdarjung observatory recorded 12 mm of rainfall between Friday from 8:30 am to 8:30 am on Saturday. A minimum temperature of 15.3 degrees, two notches below the season's average was also recorded.
IMD added that the relative humidity was recorded at 85 per cent at 8:30 am.
The weatherman forecasted a partly cloudy sky during the day and the maximum temperature is expected to hover around 30 degrees Celsius.
The Air Quality Index (AQI) of Delhi at 9 am stood at 102 which is in the 'moderate' category.
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".
Earlier IMD had predicted a fresh round of rain and hailstorms in Northwest India for the period of March 23 to 25.
As the weather becomes more unpredictable than ever, meteorologists have issued a warning for a severe season of intense heat waves and high temperatures this year.
ALSO READ: IMD Forecasts Fresh Spell Of Hailstorms, Rain From March 23 Across India
The India Meteorological Department has predicted that heatwaves in April and May will increase the likelihood of record-breaking temperatures.
Another major concern is the resurgence of El Nino, a global ocean phenomenon linked to a poor monsoon.
Other parts of the country also received heavy rainfall this week.
Heavy rainfall was reported this week in West Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam, and Meghalaya while hailstorms were reported in Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir.