Monsoon Returns: Delhi Gets Relief After a Week‑Long Dry Spell

After more than a week of mostly bone‑dry conditions, the sky over Delhi finally opened up on Monday night. A series of light to moderate showers drifted across the city early Tuesday, offering a welcome respite from the relentless heat that had been lingering.

Within 24 hours ending at 8:30 am on Tuesday, the rain gauges in Naraina logged the highest total – a modest 22 mm. Close behind were Pusa with 20 mm, Chhattarpur at 19 mm and the Ridge reporting 18.6 mm. Ayanagar, Palam, Janakpuri and Lodhi Road also saw double‑digit figures, ranging from about 12 to 17 mm. The official city‑wide station at Safdarjung recorded 10.6 mm, while Jafarpur, Mayur Vihar and Najafgarh each received between 4.5 and 9.5 mm.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) responded by issuing a yellow alert for Delhi on Tuesday and Wednesday. The bulletin warned of several spells of light to moderate rain, interspersed with thunderstorms and gusty winds, especially before noon. Isolated pockets could even see heavier downpours. After that, the agency expects only very light showers for the rest of each day, with a similar outlook repeated for Wednesday.

Looking ahead, Thursday is expected to start with another light‑to‑moderate shower, followed by a second spell in the late afternoon. No formal alert has been released for that day yet. Friday may bring only very light rain, and the forecast turns dry again from Saturday through Monday.

Temperature-wise, the rain had an immediate cooling effect. Monday’s maximum hit 31.6 °C – a full 6.7 °C lower than the scorching 38.8 °C recorded on Sunday. Forecasts suggest the high will hover between 29 °C and 31 °C on Tuesday, before nudging back up to the low‑mid‑30s later in the week.

Perhaps the most noticeable change was in the air quality. The city’s AQI fell to 83 by mid‑morning on Tuesday, moving the reading into the “satisfactory” bracket (51‑100). This is a marked improvement from the “moderate” levels seen during the dry spell, thanks to the cleansing power of the rain.

According to the IMD, rainfall up to 15.5 mm is deemed light, 15.6‑64.4 mm moderate, 64.5‑115.5 mm heavy and anything above 115.6 mm classifies as very heavy. While today’s totals sit comfortably in the light‑to‑moderate range, the city will be watching the skies closely for any sudden spikes.