Residents of Delhi-NCR woke up to a rainy Sunday morning as several parts of the region received showers, prompting the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to issue a yellow alert for the national capital. The alert warns of thunderstorms, lightning, strong surface winds and the possibility of dense fog.
According to the IMD, the wet spell has been triggered by a fresh western disturbance impacting north-west India. Delhi has witnessed multiple such weather systems in recent weeks, leading to intermittent rainfall and fluctuating temperatures.
The weather office said the maximum temperature in Delhi is expected to remain around 18 degrees Celsius, while the minimum is likely to hover near 11 degrees Celsius on February 1. Despite the rain, air quality remains a concern, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 324 at 6 am, placing it in the “very poor” category.
Rainfall figures for January have already crossed normal levels. At the Safdarjung weather station, the city has received 25.4 mm of rain so far this month, about 38 per cent higher than the long-period average of 18.4 mm.
Meanwhile, night temperatures have shown sharp variations. On Saturday, Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 6.7 degrees Celsius, one degree below the seasonal average and lower than Friday’s minimum of 7.7 degrees Celsius, indicating continued winter chill amid changing weather patterns.