New Delhi, Sep 28 — Delhi-NCR residents woke up to pleasant weather on Monday as cloudy skies and cool, breezy conditions brought relief from the recent heat.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the national capital is likely to experience partly cloudy skies on Monday, with the maximum temperature expected to remain between 31 degrees and 33 degrees Celsius, while the minimum temperature is likely to hover between 20 degrees and 22 degrees Celsius.
The weather department has forecast isolated rainfall in Delhi, Haryana, Chandigarh and Punjab on Monday. However, predominantly dry weather is expected to return to the region from September 29 and continue until October 3.
Overnight rainfall and cloudy conditions on Saturday brought down temperatures across Delhi, keeping them below the seasonal average. The minimum temperature recorded in the national capital was 21 degrees Celsius, around 2.9 degrees below normal for this time of the year.
The reading was only marginally higher than the 20.8 degrees Celsius recorded on September 6, 2008. According to IMD data, it was the lowest minimum temperature recorded in September since 2000, when the city had registered 20.6 degrees Celsius on September 29.
The Delhi Ridge recorded an even lower minimum temperature of 16.8 degrees Celsius on September 27, making it the lowest temperature recorded in the plains that day.
The rainfall also resulted in a significant improvement in Delhi's air quality. According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the city's 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 53 on Sunday, placing it in the 'satisfactory' category.
The AQI was the second-lowest recorded in the national capital this year, after an AQI of 48 was recorded on July 9.
On Monday, Delhi's overall AQI remained in the satisfactory category at 66. Several monitoring stations reported relatively low pollution levels, including NSUT Jaffarpur at 37, Burari Crossing at 39, Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium at 45, Okhla Phase-2 at 52, Mandir Marg at 58, Punjabi Bagh at 59, JNU and IIT Delhi at 62 each, and Shadipur and Anand Vihar at 66 each.
Meanwhile, the IMD has issued a heavy rainfall alert for Uttarakhand, South Interior Karnataka and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands for September 28.
The weather department has also forecast thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and parts of the Northeast.
Uttarakhand remains under a heavy rainfall alert, with isolated areas likely to receive intense showers. Several parts of the state may also experience thunderstorms and lightning. The IMD has warned of possible landslides, waterlogging and traffic disruptions in areas receiving heavy rainfall.
Telangana is likely to experience thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds reaching 30-40 kmph on Monday, with isolated rainfall also expected. The IMD has advised people to avoid taking shelter under trees during lightning activity. The weather is expected to turn dry in the state from September 29 to October 1.
In Andhra Pradesh, thunderstorms accompanied by gusty winds of 30-40 kmph are likely on Monday. Strong surface winds are expected over Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema until October 1, while isolated rainfall may continue in both regions through the week.