After a spell of rain due to a Western Disturbance on Tuesday that made it the wettest January in the city in four years, Delhi is likely to see a rise in the minimum temperature, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicting above-normal mercury on Wednesday.
According to the IMD prediction, the minimum temperature in the national capital is likely to rise by 4-5°C during the next 24 hours and fall by 5-6°C in the subsequent three days, data on Tuesday said. The IMD said the mercury will rise by 5-6°C thereafter.
Rain is likely to return on February 1.
According to the general weather forecast, Wednesday will be generally cloudy, with shallow fog in the morning.
Delhi logs wettest January in 4 years
Delhi recorded its highest January rainfall in four years since 2022 as heavy rain and thunderstorms battered parts of the national capital on Tuesday, dragging temperatures down sharply.
With the latest spell of rain, Delhi’s January rainfall total has risen to 24 mm, the highest since 2022.
The wettest January day in recent years remains January 8, 2022, when the city recorded 40.6 mm of rainfall.
This month, Delhi received 19.8 mm of rainfall on January 23, and Tuesday’s spell added 4.2 mm at Safdarjung, along with a trace of rain at other stations till 5.30 pm, taking the cumulative January rainfall to 24 mm, the highest for the month in four years, barring the 2022 peak event.
At Safdarjung, considered Delhi’s base station, the maximum temperature settled at 16.9 degrees Celsius, 5.2 degrees Celsius below normal, while the minimum temperature was recorded at 8.0 degrees Celsius, 0.4 degrees Celsius below normal.
AQI worsens despite rain
In an unusual development, the air quality worsened during the day despite rainfall, with Delhi’s 24-hour average AQI settling in the ‘very poor’ category at 336, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
By evening, 26 stations recorded ‘very poor’ air quality, seven were in the ‘poor’ category, five in ‘severe’ and one in ‘moderate’, with Wazirpur recording the worst AQI at 421.
According to CPCB classification, an AQI between 0 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’.