Delhi sees change in weather after heavy rains pound NCR; IMD forecasts thunderstorms
Delhi rains: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasted that Delhi could see a thunderstorm later at night; with cloudy skies expected to persist over the next few days
Delhi witnessed a sudden shift in weather on Saturday afternoon after heavy showers swept across several parts of the national capital, bringing temperatures down.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasted that the capital could see a thunderstorm later at night, with the maximum temperature likely to settle around 35°C.
Visuals from news agencies showed rains lashing RK Puram in south west Delhi, among other areas of the capital.
IMD forecast for Delhi
While no further heatwave conditions are expected, Delhi is likely to experience cloudy skies, accompanied by moderate to light rains for the next 6-7 days.
Here's a glimpse:
| Date | IMD weather forecast |
|---|---|
| June 22-23 | Cloudy skies; moderate to heavy rains; thunderstorm; lightning with gusty winds |
| June 24-27 | Cloudy skies; light rains with thunderstorm, lightning |
Heavy rainfall warning; orange alert issued
Earlier in the day, the weather observatory had issued a warning for heavy to very heavy rainfall over Northwest India, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Konkan-Goa from June 21-26.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) also issued an orange alert for eight states — Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Assam, Mizoram, Meghalaya and Tripura.
Delhi breathes clean air
On Saturday, Delhi recorded "satisfactory" air quality as of 9 am, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) reading of 82, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data showed.
According to the CPCB, an AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 to 100 'satisfactory', 101 to 200 'moderate', 201 to 300 'poor', 301 to 400 'very poor', and 401 to 500 'severe'.
Delhi recorded its cleanest air since September last year on Friday. The capital recorded AQI readings of 89, 80 and 96 on June 19, June 18 and June 17 respectively – all falling within the "satisfactory" range. On Monday, the air quality was recorded in the "moderate" category, with a reading of 111.