Delhi weather update: Light rain lash national capital a day after earliest 30°C February in 5 years

Delhi woke to light rain on Wednesday (18 February), a sharp shift in conditions a day after the capital recorded its earliest 30°C-plus February temperature in five years.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said light rainfall or drizzle was “very likely” across Delhi and the National Capital Region, with scattered showers expected to extend into parts of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan over the next few hours. The weather office has also forecast gusty winds of 30–40 kmph during the afternoon.

The IMD said light rainfall was also very likely over parts of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan over the next two hours, including Sonipat, Kharkhoda, Charkhi Dadri, Mattanhail, Jhajjar, Farukhnagar, Kosali, Mahendargarh, Sohana, Rewari, Palwal, Narnaul, Bawal, Nuh, Aurangabad and Hodal in Haryana; Bagpat, Khekra, Modinagar and Pilakhua in Uttar Pradesh; and Bhiwari, Tizara, Khairthal, Alwar, Viratnagar, Nagar, Laxmangarh and Rajgarh in Rajasthan. It added that very light rainfall or drizzle was likely in Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Narwana, Karnal, Fatehabad, Assandh, Safidon, Barwala, Jind, Panipat, Adampur, Gohana, Gannaur, Hansi, Tosham and Rohtak in Haryana; Shamli, Kandhla, Khatauli, Sakoti Tanda, Hastinapur, Baraut, Daurala, Meerut, Kithor, Garhmukteshwar, Hapur, Gulaoti, Siyana, Sikandrabad, Bulandshahar, Khurja, Jattari, Nandgaon and Barsana in Uttar Pradesh; and Kotputli and Deeg in Rajasthan.

The showers follow an unusually warm spell that pushed temperatures well above the seasonal norm. Delhi recorded a maximum of 31.6°C on Monday — the hottest day of the year so far — around seven degrees above average. Data indicates this was the earliest the mercury has crossed 30°C in February since 2021, when the city touched 30.4°C on February 11.

On Tuesday, the capital remained unseasonably warm, with the maximum temperature settling at 30.9°C, about 6.5 degrees above the seasonal average, according to the IMD.

Station-wise readings showed Ayanagar recorded the highest minimum temperature at 13.8°C, while Safdarjung — Delhi’s principal observatory — logged 12.4°C. Palam recorded a minimum of 15.3°C, followed by Lodhi Road at 12.6°C and the Ridge at 12.2°C.

Safdarjung also registered the highest maximum temperature at 30.9°C, followed by Ayanagar at 29.9°C and Palam at 29.1°C. Lodhi Road recorded a high of 29.2°C, while the Ridge touched 29.4°C.

For Wednesday, the IMD has projected a cooler day, with the maximum and minimum temperatures expected to hover around 27°C and 14°C, respectively.

Meanwhile, Delhi’s air quality remained in the ‘poor’ category on Tuesday. The Central Pollution Control Board recorded the city’s average Air Quality Index at 249. Under CPCB standards, an AQI between 201 and 300 is classified as ‘poor’.