Autumn Chill Sets In

New Delhi witnessed a noticeable shift in weather conditions as overnight rainfall brought down temperatures across the capital. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the city recorded its lowest minimum temperature of the month so far at 17 degrees Celsius on Sunday. This reading is 0.2 notches below the season's historical average.

The maximum temperature for the day settled at 31.1 degrees Celsius, which is approximately 0.7 notches below the seasonal norm. Meteorological data shows that the capital received 4.4 mm of rainfall in the 24-hour period leading up to Sunday morning, bringing the cumulative rainfall for the month to 62.3 mm.

Station-Wise Temperature Variations

Temperatures varied across different weather stations in the national capital region:

* Palam: Minimum of 16.7°C, Maximum of 29.4°C * Lodhi Road: Minimum of 16.4°C, Maximum of 31.0°C * The Ridge: Minimum of 16.2°C (lowest across all stations), Maximum of 31.4°C (highest across all stations) * Ayanagar: Minimum of 17.2°C, Maximum of 30.8°C

Relative humidity was recorded at 61 percent by late afternoon.

Air Quality Breathes Easy, Temporarily

The overnight precipitation also acted as a natural scrubber for the city's atmosphere, leading to a slight improvement in air quality. Data from the Sameer app indicated that Delhi's overall Air Quality Index (AQI) settled at 153, placing it in the 'moderate' category, down from 167 earlier in the morning.

Despite the general improvement, localized pollution hotspots persisted. Out of 54 monitoring stations, 11 recorded 'poor' air quality. The highest reading was registered at IIT Delhi with an AQI of 245, closely followed by Alipur at 233.

Outlook Ahead

Authorities warn that the relief may be short-lived. The IMD’s air quality forecast indicates that while conditions will likely remain moderate on Sunday, a gradual deterioration into the 'poor' category is expected from Monday through Wednesday.

For Monday, the IMD has forecast mainly clear skies, with maximum and minimum temperatures expected to hover around 32 and 16 degrees Celsius, respectively.