Delhi Weather: Rain Improves AQI To 83 After Wettest October Day In 4 Years
Delhi woke up to widespread rain and thunderstorms on Monday, bringing much-needed relief from pollution and unusually warm conditions. The city recorded 41.6 mm of rainfall in 24 hours, making it the wettest October day in four years. The showers also helped improve the air quality, with the 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) dropping to 83 from 111 on Sunday.
However, the relief may not last long. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast no rain for Tuesday, while air quality could fluctuate between moderate and poor over the next several days.
Delhi received nearly three times its October monthly long-period average (LPA) of 15.1 mm in a single spell on Monday. The last time the city recorded more rainfall during October was on October 9, 2022, when Safdarjung, Delhi’s base weather station, received around 74 mm.
According to IMD data, Safdarjung recorded 41.6 mm of rainfall in the 24 hours ending at 8.30 am on Monday. Other weather stations also reported substantial showers, with the Ridge recording 49 mm, Lodhi Road 41.4 mm, Ayanagar 39 mm and Palam 31 mm.
The heavy rain and thunderstorms caused waterlogging in several areas, including the Dharampura-to-Iron Bridge stretch on Ansari Road, Mahipalpur flyover, Zakhira underpass and the area around Ghazipur Murga Mandi.