Heavy rain lashes parts of Delhi

NEW DELHI: Several areas of the national capital witnessed heavy rainfall on Saturday, bringing much-needed respite from the summer heat.The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had earlier predicted a generally cloudy sky with light rain or drizzle for the day, as part of the region’s prevailing pre-monsoon weather pattern.

According to the IMD, Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 25.8 degrees Celsius on Saturday, which is 0.7 degrees below the seasonal average. The maximum temperature is expected to settle around 37 degrees Celsius, consistent with typical early May conditions. Relative humidity was reported at 65% at 8:30 am.

On Friday, the city had recorded a maximum temperature of 36.7 degrees Celsius, 2.6 degrees below normal, while the minimum temperature stood at 25.7 degrees Celsius, slightly above the average by 0.6 degrees.

The relative humidity on Friday ranged between 61% and 48%.In terms of air quality, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) reported an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 179 at 9 am on Saturday, placing Delhi in the “moderate” category. An AQI between 101 and 200 falls within this category, indicating generally acceptable air quality for the public but with the possibility of minor discomfort for sensitive individuals.An AQI of 0–50 is considered "good," 51–100 "satisfactory," 201–300 "poor," 301–400 "very poor," and 401–500 "severe."