Mercury Falls to 7.7°C in Delhi; Rain, Thunderstorms, Fog Forecast for Weekend

Delhi’s mercury dipped to 7.7°C on Friday, 0.7°C below the seasonal average, down from 11°C a day earlier, as the city prepared for a weekend under a yellow alert for possible rain, thunderstorms, and moderate to dense fog. The air quality remained in the “poor” category.

Temperatures are expected to fall further on Saturday, ranging between 6°C and 8°C, before rising to 11-13°C on Sunday due to persistent cloudy conditions. Rain is also likely on Monday under the influence of a third western disturbance this month.

“Moderate to dense fog is expected in the early hours over the weekend. One or two spells of light rain are possible, accompanied by thunderstorms and gusty winds of 30-40 kmph,” an India Meteorological Department (IMD) official said. Partly cloudy skies are expected to continue through Friday.

The city recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 238 at 9 am on Friday, compared with a 24-hour average of 226 on Thursday. The Air Quality Early Warning System (AQEWS) warned that air quality could deteriorate to “very poor” by Friday evening and remain so until Sunday. “The outlook for the next six days indicates AQI is likely to remain in the ‘very poor’ to ‘poor’ category,” the bulletin said.

However, high winds and light rain expected over the weekend may help improve pollution levels. “Gusty winds will likely disperse pollutants, leading to better AQI over the weekend,” said Mahesh Palawat, vice president of Skymet Weather.