Delhi’s minimum falls to 21°C after overnight rain, with AQI at 53

Delhi woke to a 21°C minimum after overnight rain, the city’s second-lowest September minimum since 2001.

Safdarjung recorded 4.9mm of rain in the 24 hours ending 8.30am, while the Ridge logged 6.8mm, Lodi Road 5.2mm, Ayanagar 4mm and Palam 3.7mm. The maximum at Safdarjung reached 30.6°C, 3.7 degrees below normal. The India Meteorological Department said maximum temperatures across Delhi had dropped by 3-4°C over the preceding 24 hours, while minimums fell by 1-2°C.

Delhi’s 24-hour average AQI was 53, in the satisfactory category. It was the city’s second-lowest AQI this year, after a reading of 48 on July 9.

For Monday, the IMD has forecast generally cloudy skies and possible very light to light rain at a few places during the afternoon and evening. Temperatures are expected to range from 20°C to 22°C overnight and 30°C to 32°C during the day. Mainly clear skies are forecast from September 29, with daytime temperatures likely to rise to 33-35°C by September 30.