Light rain brings relief to Delhi after dry spell, AQI at 190

Several parts of the national capital witnessed light rain and thunderstorms on Sunday morning, bringing relief from the prevailing dry and warm conditions, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

The weather department said the city recorded 5 mm of rainfall till 8.30 am , with showers reported from multiple monitoring stations across Delhi.

According to IMD data, Safdarjung and Lodhi Road recorded 0.8 mm of rainfall each , while Palam received 0.4 mm . Among the stations, Pitampura recorded the highest rainfall at 3.5 mm , followed by Ayanagar with 2.6 mm . Other areas also received light showers, including Mayur Vihar with 1.0 mm and Janakpuri with 0.5 mm , while the Ridge station reported only a trace of rainfall .

The IMD said the minimum temperature was recorded at 20.2 degrees Celsius , which is 5.1 degrees above the seasonal average , while the maximum temperature is likely to settle around 28 degrees Celsius during the day.

Officials also noted that cloudy skies, thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds of around 30–40 kmph were likely in parts of Delhi later in the day, with similar conditions expected in some areas of the National Capital Region.

The rainfall follows a period of unusually warm early-March weather in the city and is expected to bring down temperatures by around 3–5 degrees Celsius , providing temporary respite from the heat.

Meanwhile, Delhi’s air quality remained in the ‘moderate’ category , with the Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 190 at 9 am , according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

The CPCB classifies AQI levels between 0 and 50 as ‘good’, 51 to 100 as ‘satisfactory’, 101 to 200 as ‘moderate’, 201 to 300 as ‘poor’, 301 to 400 as ‘very poor’, and 401 to 500 as ‘severe’.