It was a sticky and uncomfortable Thursday in the national capital, as Delhi residents grappled with high humidity and sporadic showers in select areas. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said similar conditions are likely to continue over the weekend, with light rain expected in some parts till Sunday.
Heat Index Touches 48°C
Delhi’s maximum temperature settled at 35.4°C, a notch above the season’s average. But it was the humidity — fluctuating between 71% and 97% — that made conditions unbearable. IMD data revealed that the “real feel” or Heat Index touched a scorching 48°C at 2.30pm and was still at 44.6°C by 5.30pm.
Rainfall Uneven Across the City
While Delhi’s base weather station at Safdarjung recorded no rainfall between 8.30am and 5.30pm, isolated pockets of the city saw intense localised showers. Pitampura in northwest Delhi logged 26.5mm of rain, while Ridge in north Delhi recorded 37.8mm.
“Isolated pockets, mainly in north and northwest Delhi, saw localised intense showers with moderate rainfall. In most areas, skies were partly cloudy but there was no rain. Humidity will remain high till the weekend, with light rain at a few places,” an IMD official said.
August Rainfall Above Normal
This August has already seen excess rainfall in the capital. With four days still left in the month, Delhi has recorded 336.4mm of rain, over 100mm above the normal of 233.1mm. For comparison, the city received 390.3mm of rain in August last year.
Also Read: Radhika & Anant’s Warm Hosting at Ambani Ganesh Chaturthi Festivities | Watch
Forecast for Coming Days
According to IMD, the weekend will bring partly cloudy skies with chances of patchy showers. The maximum temperature is likely to hover between 33°C and 35°C, while the minimum will range between 23°C and 25°C.
AQI Slips to ‘Moderate’
Meanwhile, Delhi’s air quality worsened on Thursday, slipping from the ‘satisfactory’ to the ‘moderate’ category. The 24-hour average AQI stood at 120, up from 71 the previous day.
