Delhi records min temperature of 20 degree Celsius, IMD predicts cloudy sky with light rain

The national capital on Saturday recorded a minimum temperature of 20.1 degree Celsius, four notches below the normal, according to the India Meteorological Department.

The weather office has predicted a generally cloudy sky with light rain or drizzle during the day and a maximum temperature around 36 degree Celsius. The relative humidity was recorded at 63 per cent at 8.30 am.

Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded in the ''poor'' (239) category around 9 am, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data showed. An AQI between zero and 50 is considered ''good'', 51 and 100 ''satisfactory'', 101 and 200 ''moderate'', 201 and 300 ''poor'', 301 and 400 ''very poor'', and 401 and 500 ''severe."

Due to back-to-back western disturbances in the previous two weeks, Delhi has received more than 200 percent more rainfall in the pre-monsoon season (March 1 to May 31).

During this period, the Safdarjung Observatory, Delhi's major meteorological station, reported 221 percent higher precipitation (119 mm vs. a normal of 37.1 mm).

Normally, it receives 48 mm of rain over the whole pre-monsoon season. The manual weather station at Palam reported 109.9 mm of rain, compared to the usual of 33 mm, news agency PTI reported.

The rainfall witnessed at Lodhi Road (119.5 mm), Ridge (114.2 mm), and Ayanagar (113.4 mm) is at least 220 percent over average.

For the past 15 days, Delhi has had gloomy skies and scattered rain, which is unusual for this time of year. May has traditionally been the warmest month in Delhi, with a mean maximum temperature of 39.5 degrees Celsius.

Officials attribute this to two western disturbances, weather systems that originate in the Mediterranean region and deliver unseasonal rainfall to northwest India.

Beginning May 5, another western disturbance is expected to hit the area. Cloudy skies and intermittent showers are forecast in the capital until May 7, according to an IMD spokesperson.

Until May 8, the maximum temperature is expected to remain below 35 degrees Celsius. To the delight of its citizens, Delhi had an uncommon bout of dense fog on Thursday morning.

The lowest temperature fell to 15.8 degrees Celsius, making it the third coldest May morning since the IMD began collecting records in 1901. So far in May, the Safdarjung Observatory has recorded 45.7 mm of rainfall, according to IMD statistics. The capital receives 19.7 mm of rain each month on average.

With inputs from agencies