Delhi-NCR Likely to Turn Dry as Rains Ease, Air Quality Remains Moderate

The weather agency has forecast mainly clear skies over Delhi and neighbouring areas, with dry conditions expected across Delhi, Haryana and Chandigarh through the first week of October.

The shift follows Tuesday's showers, which brought a noticeable drop in temperatures and gave Delhi a brief winter-like feel. However, rainfall activity is expected to weaken from Wednesday, particularly across northwest India.

Delhi, Haryana, Punjab and parts of Uttar Pradesh are likely to remain largely dry as the recent rain and thunderstorm activity subsides. Delhi is expected to record a minimum temperature of around 24 degrees Celsius and a maximum of nearly 33 degrees Celsius on Wednesday.

The IMD has classified Delhi, Haryana and Chandigarh as dry for Wednesday, with similar conditions forecast over Punjab, Rajasthan and most parts of Uttar Pradesh.

While northwest India is likely to remain mostly dry, several other parts of the country are expected to continue receiving rain and thunderstorms. Isolated heavy rainfall has been forecast over parts of the Northeast and southern peninsula.

The contrasting weather conditions are being influenced by several atmospheric systems currently affecting different parts of the country.

A depression over coastal Myanmar and the adjoining Bay of Bengal was moving rapidly north-northwestwards on Tuesday. The system was expected to weaken into a well-marked low-pressure area and continue moving towards southeast Bangladesh and adjoining northeastern India.

A western disturbance and associated upper-air systems are also influencing parts of north India, while another circulation and trough extend across southern India. The movement and interaction of these systems are contributing to the varying weather patterns across the country.

The IMD recorded heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places in Haryana during the 24 hours ending Tuesday morning, highlighting the intensity of the recent spell in parts of north India.

The southwest monsoon is also gradually withdrawing from the country as the rainy season approaches its end. With the retreat of the monsoon, northwest India is expected to increasingly experience dry weather.

However, rainfall will continue in several other regions over the coming days. Uttarakhand may receive isolated rain and thunderstorms through October 4, while Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh could see similar conditions between October 2 and 4. Himachal Pradesh may also receive isolated showers.

Parts of Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha and Chhattisgarh are expected to experience rain and thunderstorms in the coming days.

The Northeast is likely to remain relatively wetter, with rainfall forecast across Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura through October 4. Some areas could receive heavy showers.

Southern India is also expected to remain an active rainfall zone, with isolated heavy showers forecast over parts of the southern peninsula during the next four to five days. Tamil Nadu, Kerala and South Interior Karnataka are among the areas likely to receive heavy rainfall.

Meanwhile, Delhi's air quality remained in the “moderate” category. Monitoring stations recorded AQI levels of 97 at Mandir Marg, 79 at Aya Nagar, 113 at Punjabi Bagh, 138 at CRRI Mathura Road, 149 at Pusa, 105 at Sirifort, 101 at IGI Airport Terminal 3, 122 at Commonwealth Sports Complex, 122 at North Campus, 122 at R.K. Puram, 86 at ITO, 140 at IIT Delhi, 100 at DTU, 134 at Wazirpur, 153 at Jahangirpuri, 105 at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, 105 at Anand Vihar and 105 at Cantonment Area.