Delhi weather: IMD issues yellow alert for rain on Tuesday after slight rise in temperature

NEW DELHI: The city is likely to witness a slight rise in temperature on Monday, though it is expected to dip again soon under the influence of a western disturbance. Met had earlier forecast rain for Sunday as well; however, only 0.5 mm of rainfall was recorded on Saturday.

On Sunday, the sky remained partly cloudy, while light and variable winds kept maximum temperatures below normal.

The maximum temperature at the base station, Safdarjung, was recorded at 32.7 degrees Celsius, a notch below normal, against 32 degrees a day earlier. The minimum temperature stood at 20.1 degrees Celsius, slightly above normal, against 20.7 degrees on the previous day.

According to India Meteorological Department (IMD), both maximum and minimum temperatures are likely to hover around 33–35 degrees Celsius on Monday.

Met has, meanwhile, issued a yellow alert for Tuesday, with a forecast of rain and gusty winds of up to 50 kmph towards late evening and night, which is expected to bring the temperatures down again.

Another spell of rain is likely on Wednesday. As a result, the maximum temperature is expected to settle around 29-31 degrees Celsius on Tuesday and further dip to 28–30 degrees by Wednesday.

The influence of the western disturbance is likely to prevent any spells of intense heat or sharp spikes in daytime temperatures over the next few days.

“A fresh western disturbance is likely to affect northwest India from April 7. Maximum temperatures may rise by around three degrees Celsius over the next two days, fall by two-four degrees on April 7 and 8, and rise by three-five degrees thereafter. Temperatures are likely to remain normal over the next two days and become appreciably to markedly below normal during the subsequent three days,” IMD stated.

Meanwhile, the city’s air quality remained in the moderate category. The air quality index, on a scale of 0 to 500, stood at 134 at 4pm, marginally improving from 135 a day earlier.