Delhi rain brings temperatures down as IMD issues yellow alert

Light rain on Saturday, September 26, brought Delhi’s maximum temperature down to 29.2°C at Safdarjung, 5.1°C below normal and 3.8°C lower than Friday, as the India Meteorological Department issued a yellow alert for the capital. The alert forecast light rain and warned that some areas could see thunderstorms, lightning and strong winds. Safdarjung, Delhi’s main weather station, recorded a minimum temperature of 23.2°C, 0.7°C below normal and 1°C lower than the previous day. Rainfall readings between 2:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. varied by station: Mayur Vihar recorded 1.0 millimetre, Lodhi Road 0.5 mm and Safdarjung 0.2 mm. Ridge and Ayanagar reported traces during the same period. The figures cover selected locations and a three-hour window, rather than a full-day citywide total. The IMD forecast cloudy skies and one or two spells of very light to light rain, with moderate rain possible in some areas. Its yellow alert also covered the possibility of thunderstorms, lightning and strong winds. The alert described expected conditions; it did not establish that those hazards occurred across the city. Delhi’s 24-hour average air quality index was 72 at 4 p.m.