Delhi logs coldest March day in 6 years, foggy morning
What's the story
Delhi was greeted with light rain and mild thunderstorms on Friday, bringing the minimum temperature down to 16 degrees Celsius. In the early hours of Saturday, dense fog and a cloud cover hovered over Delhi. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecasted cloudy skies for the next few days with a possibility of very light rain and thunderstorms at the start of next week. This weather pattern has made March the wettest month in three years for Delhi.
Weather impact
Rain improves Delhi's air quality
The IMD had issued a yellow alert for Friday, predicting more rain and a further drop in temperatures to around 23-25°C. The maximum temperature is likely to rise gradually after Friday, reaching 32-34°C by March 25. This weather change has also improved Delhi's air quality, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) dropping to 93 on Friday, marking the first time in over five months that the city recorded satisfactory air quality.
Nationwide forecast
Rainfall expected in neighboring states
The IMD has predicted rainfall or snowfall over isolated places in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Light to moderate rains are also expected in parts of Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh. Northeast India, including Manipur, Assam, Mizoram, and Tripura, will witness scattered to fairly widespread light to moderate rainfall on Friday. West Bengal and Sikkim are also likely to see light to moderate rains, while thundersqualls may hit some areas of Jharkhand and Odisha.
Stabilizing forecast
Weather conditions to stabilize soon
Weather conditions across Delhi and much of North India are likely to stabilize as rainfall activity decreases. Partly cloudy skies and drier conditions are expected in the coming days. For Saturday, temperatures are predicted to rise slightly with a minimum of around 14 degrees Celsius and a maximum nearing 27 degrees Celsius.