Delhi weather: IMD forecasts rain and thunderstorms; max temperature hits 17.9 degrees Celsius

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Delhi's chilly weather saw a maximum temperature of 17.9°C, below the seasonal average. The IMD predicts rain and thunderstorms from 31 January to 2 February.

Delhi weather: Station-wise data showed that daytime temperatures across Delhi-NCR remained below normal levels. (Hindustan Times)

Delhi residents woke up to chilly weather on Thursday, with the maximum temperature reaching just 17.9 degrees Celsius, about 4 degrees Celsius lower than what is normal for this time of the year, according to the meteorological department.

Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has also predicted that the national capital and nearby regions will be receiving rain and thunderstorms between 31 January and 2 February, PTI reported.

Station-wise data showed that daytime temperatures across Delhi-NCR remained below normal levels. Among all locations, Palam recorded the sharpest departure, making it the coldest spot in the region.

Temperatures at different stations

At Safdarjung, the maximum temperature was recorded at 17.9 degrees Celsius, whereas the minimum temperature settled at 11 degrees Celsius, which is 2.6 degrees above normal but 1.6 degrees Celsius lower than the previous day's 12.6 degrees Celsius.

Palam recorded a maximum temperature of 15.3 degrees Celsius, 6.8 notches below normal. The minimum temperature was recorded at 9.4 degrees Celsius, 1.0 degrees above normal.

At Lodhi Road, the maximum temperature stood at 17.8 degrees Celsius, 3.2 notches below normal and the minimum temperature settled at 10.4 degrees Celsius, 2.4 notches above normal, the agency report said.

Spells of rain in Delhi

The national capital also saw an unusually active spell of winter this month, with two active western disturbances bringing rain, thunderstorms, gusty winds, and hailstorms across northwest India, including Delhi, between January 22–24 and January 26–28, the IMD said.

The month may also end with a light spell of rain accompanied by a thunderstorm on 31 January, as the minimum temperature may drop further to around 7 degrees Celsius, while the maximum is expected to be close to 20 degrees Celsius.

Residents may wake up on Saturday, witnessing moderate fog at many places and dense fog at isolated locations, while skies are likely to turn generally cloudy towards the afternoon and evening, the weather department forecasted.

“There is also a possibility of a spell of very light rain accompanied by thunderstorm activity, lightning, and gusty winds reaching speeds of 30-40 kmph during the night,” the IMD was quoted as saying by PTI.

Highest rainfall in four years

This month, Delhi recorded its highest rainfall for January in four years, after heavy rain and thunderstorms hit parts of the national capital on Tuesday, leading to a sharp deterioration in air quality, which slipped into the 'very poor' category.

Counting the latest spell of rain in the city, Delhi's monthly total rainfall for January has risen to 24 mm, making it the highest January total since 2022. The wettest January day in recent years remains 8 January 2022, when the city recorded 40.6 mm of rainfall.

According to the IMD forecast, the national capital may likely see generally cloudy skies on Friday as well, with shallow to moderate fog during the morning hours, the agency report said.

At the same time, the minimum and maximum temperatures are expected to hover around 10 degrees Celsius and 19 degrees Celsius, respectively.

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