New Delhi
With 10 more days to go for the month-end, Delhi has already recorded its wettest April since 2008, data available with the India Meteorological Department revealed. So far, Delhi has recorded 28.2mm of rainfall this month, with it significantly bypassing the long-period average of 16.mm for April. In 2008, Delhi recorded 38.6mm of rainfall in April.
Across other stations too, Delhi has recorded 27.9mm of rainfall, as per the data. Individually, stations at Palam, Ayanagar and Lodhi Road have logged 35.8mm, 36.5mm and 28.1mm of rainfall.
An IMD official said that the highest rainfall recorded in a single day in April is April 16, 1983, when Safdarjung received 134mm and Palam recorded 117.8mm of rainfall. At 183.5mm of rainfall, the same year also holds the record for the highest total rainfall in April in Delhi.
In the 24-hour period between 8.30am on Friday and 8.30am on Saturday, the Safdarjung weather station, considered Delhi’s base station, recorded 12.4mm of rainfall, while Palam and Lodhi Road stations recorded 18.6mm and 12mm, respectively. No rainfall was recorded from Saturday morning to night.
The IMD official said, “When we consider rainfall in a single day, Safdarjung’s recorded rain in the 24 hours is highest since 2023, when the weather station recorded 16.3mm of rain in a single day. Palam’s record is the seventh highest rain in a single day for April.”
Following the rain, temperatures saw a noticeable dip across the city on Saturday, even as skies remained mostly clear during the day.
The city recorded a minimum temperature of 19.8 degrees Celsius (°C), which was 1.8 degrees below normal and 4.2 degrees lower than the day before. The maximum temperature was 39.5°C, 2.7 degrees above normal but 1.5 degrees lower than the previous day.
Other stations reported similar trends. The Palam station recorded a minimum temperature of 20.1°C, nearly 4.9°C lower than the day before, while the Ridge station logged a minimum of 20.8 degrees Celsius, down by 3.9°C.
The IMD has forecasted no further rainfall over the next few days, although partly cloudy skies are expected to persist. Maximum temperatures are likely to remain between 39°C and 41°C, while minimum temperatures are expected to range between 22°C and 24°C on Sunday.
“The temperature is expected to rise in the next few days, along with dry northwesterlies impacting the region. There is a possibility of a heatwave in the coming days as well,” said Mahesh Palawat, vice president at Skymet.
The improvement in weather conditions also led to a sharp decline in air pollution. The city’s air quality index (AQI) improved to the “moderate” category, clocking a 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) of 152 at 4pm on Saturday. This marks a significant improvement from the AQI recorded a day before, when the AQI was 263 and in the “poor” category, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
As per CPCB classification, AQI values between 0 and 50 are considered “good”, 51 to 100 “satisfactory”, 101 to 200 “moderate”, 201 to 300 “poor”, 301 to 400 “very poor”, and 401 to 500 “severe”.
The Air Quality Early Warning System (AQEWS) has forecasted the air quality to remain in the “moderate” category for the next two days before deteriorating to “poor” levels thereafter.
Meteorological data and forecasts indicate that while the recent spell of rain has provided temporary relief in terms of temperature and air quality, rising temperatures and dry conditions are expected to return to the region in the coming days with the maximum temperature expected to reach 42 degrees by Wednesday.
