Delhi sees cooler morning on Independence Day, likely to get light rain today

Delhi witnessed Independence Day with slightly cooler temperatures and cloudy skies. The forecast of light rain later today and satisfactory air quality set a relatively comfortable backdrop for celebrations.

In Short

• Safdarjung recorded 26 degrees Celsius, half a degree below normal levels
• Palam, Lodhi Road and Ayanagar also logged lower minimum temperatures
• The weather office predicted around 3 mm of rainfall by evening

Delhi saw a slight dip in the minimum temperature on Saturday as Independence Day celebrations were held across the national capital, while the India Meteorological Department forecast generally cloudy skies and very light rain later in the day.

The IMD said the maximum temperature was likely to settle around 31-33 degrees Celsius. The city’s air quality remained in the satisfactory category on Saturday morning, with the AQI recorded at 91 at 9 am, compared with the 24-hour average of 98 recorded at 4 pm on Friday, according to Central Pollution Control Board data.

Safdarjung, which is considered representative of Delhi’s weather, recorded a minimum temperature of 26 degrees Celsius, 0.5 degree below normal and 1.8 degrees lower than Friday.

Other weather stations also reported a fall in the minimum temperature. Palam recorded 24.4 degrees Celsius, 1.8 degrees below normal and 1.7 degrees lower than the previous day. Lodhi Road recorded 26.2 degrees Celsius, 1.6 degrees lower than a day earlier, while Ayanagar recorded 26.2 degrees, two degrees lower than Friday.

An IMD official said, "Generally cloudy skies are expected to persist. A spell of very light rainfall of about 3mm with 60 per cent probability is expected during afternoon to evening." According to CPCB standards, an AQI of 0-50 is considered good, 51-100 satisfactory, 101-200 moderate, 201-300 poor, 301-400 very poor, and 401-500 severe.

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