Residents in the national capital woke up to cloudy skies with scattered light showers on Monday morning, as the India Meteorological Department forecast more rain and thunderstorms later in the day.
As of 7:48 am on March 23, the city is experiencing light rain and thunderstorm warnings, with a temperature of around 20°C (feels like 24°C), humidity at 65%, and light winds blowing from the west at about 2 mph, according to the IMD.
The city recorded a minimum temperature of 19°C, while the maximum is expected to remain around 29°C.
According to the IMD forecast for March 23, the entire NCR, covering Faridabad, Gurugram, Ghaziabad, and Noida is likely to experience generally cloudy skies, with a chance of very light rain along with thunderstorms and lightning during the late morning to afternoon hours.
Weather monitoring stations across the Delhi-NCR region are showing varied conditions this Monday morning.
In Faridabad, the temperature is 21.1°C with light rainfall and high humidity at 73%. In the capital, temperatures have reached 26.0°C at New Delhi (Safdarjung) and 25.2°C at Palam, while Narela has recorded a much higher temperature of 31.0°C.
According to the AQI dashboard, New Delhi’s real-time Air Quality Index was 213 at 7:58 AM, remaining in the poor and “unhealthy” category. The city-wide average stood at 163 (US AQI) as of 7:48 AM.
Although light showers may help reduce some particulate matter, key hotspots such as Anand Vihar are still reporting “hazardous” levels at 436, while areas like Baba Kharak Singh Marg and Pusa are recording AQI values of 182 and 164, respectively.
According to the CPCB, the Air Quality Index (AQI), which ranges from 0 to 500, is divided into six categories that indicate pollution levels and their potential health impacts. An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered “Good,” reflecting minimal or no health risk. Levels from 51 to 100 fall under the “Satisfactory” category, where air quality is acceptable, though sensitive groups such as children, the elderly, and individuals with respiratory conditions may experience mild discomfort.
Looking ahead, the IMD has forecast partly cloudy skies starting March 24, with predominantly dry weather expected to continue throughout the rest of the week.
Bureau Report
Leave a Reply