NEW DELHI: The rain effect leaving the national capital brings yet another hot and humid day for the citizens. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) removed the ‘Orange’ alert for moderate rain for Thursday. Instead, a ‘Yellow’ alert has been in place until July 12, which may bring slight relief from the humidity, weather officials said.
On Wednesday, Safdarjung, Delhi’s base station, recorded a maximum temperature of 38.6 degrees C, two notches above the season’s normal. The minimum temperature was above normal on Wednesday as it settled at 29.4 degrees C, which is two notches above normal.
The relative humidity on Wednesday oscillated between 52% and 83% taking the heat index (HI) or what is commonly known as the ‘real feel’, to around 50 degrees C during the day, which results in high
levels of discomfort throughout the day. The IMD has forecast light rain over the week and has issued a ‘yellow’ alert for the same till July 12. A ‘Yellow’ alert was issued for Tuesday and Wednesday as well, but rain eluded most parts of the national capital.
Jafarpur and Mayur Vihar weather stations received 1.2 mm and 2 mm rain, respectively on Wednesday. No other part of the city saw any rain. An ‘Orange’ alert was initially issued for July 6, which was then shifted to July 7, but the city saw no rainfall.
“The reason behind the change in the forecast is that the monsoon trough has moved away to Central India, which was close to the northern plains previously when the alert was issued,” said a senior IMD scientist.
Mahesh Palawat, vice-president Skymet, a private weather forecaster, said, “The axis of the monsoon trough is over central India. Therefore, light rain is possible over Delhi-NCR on Wednesday and Thursday. Intensity and spread of rain may increase from July 12-13. Until then on and off patchy rain may continue.”
After a strong start to the monsoon when 117.2 mm rain was recorded over 24 hours on July 1, the intensity of rainfall decreased with the trough moving away from the northern plains, said weather experts. “There will be a generally cloudy sky with the possibility of light rain and thundershowers at isolated places. The city’s maximum and minimum temperatures will hover around 36 degrees Celsius and 28 degrees Celsius respectively,” an IMD official said.
The national capital’s air quality index (AQI) was “moderate” (104), according to the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) 24-hour AQI bulletin released at 4 pm.
Toxic air
Key pollution ingredients PM2.5 and PM10 were far above the safe limit in Delhi throughout the summer between March and June this year, said a report