Weather conditions across Delhi and the surrounding National Capital Region have taken a sharp turn. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Sunday marked the lowest minimum temperature of the season so far, plunging to 17 degrees Celsius following overnight rains and hailstorms in parts of the city. Meteorological officials have indicated that temperatures are expected to drop further in the coming days, accompanied by the likelihood of another spell of light rain toward the end of the week.
An IMD official noted that very light to light showers, accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning, hit various areas during the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday. The official stated that hailstorms occurred at isolated spots across central and southern Delhi, alongside Firozpur, Sirsa, Kurukshetra, and Fatehabad, with Kaithal recording wind speeds as high as 85 kilometers per hour.
This abrupt shift in weather is being driven by a weak western disturbance active across the middle and upper tropospheric levels, combined with moisture influx arriving from the Arabian Sea at lower levels. Data released by the IMD showed that by 8:30 AM on Sunday, Safdarjung recorded 4.4 millimeters of rainfall, Lodhi Road registered 5.8 millimeters, and the Delhi Ridge received 0.8 millimeters.
Temperature Trends and Upcoming Forecast
Forecasters anticipate that the minimum temperature could slide further down to settle between 15 and 17 degrees Celsius over the next few days. Officials added that another spell of light rainfall is expected around October 29 to 30. Looking at individual weather stations on Sunday, Palam recorded a minimum temperature of 16.7 degrees Celsius, while Lodhi Road stood at 16.4 degrees Celsius. The minimum temperature dipped to 16.2 degrees Celsius at the Ridge and 17.2 degrees Celsius in Aya Nagar. Maximum temperatures ranged higher, with Palam touching 29.4 degrees Celsius, Lodhi Road at 31 degrees Celsius, the Ridge at 31.4 degrees Celsius, and Aya Nagar recording 30.8 degrees Celsius. Relative humidity was measured at 61 percent at 5:30 PM on Sunday.
Air Quality Improvements and Future Outlook
Delhi witnessed a marginal improvement in its air quality on Sunday, with the AQI registering a 38-point recovery. The 24-hour average Air Quality Index stood at 153, compared to 191 recorded on Saturday. Despite this positive movement, air pollution levels remained within the 'moderate' category. Authorities have warned that the relief might be short-lived, as the Air Quality Early Warning System projects that the AQI could slip back into the 'poor' category between October 26 and October 28. Projections indicate that air quality will continue to fluctuate between 'poor' and 'moderate' zones over the subsequent six days.
