Delhi wakes up to partly cloudy sky, drizzle predicted

New Delhi: Residents of Delhi woke up to a partly cloudy sky on Saturday morning with the Safdarjung Observatory predicting the possibility of very light rain or drizzle.

According to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), the maximum temperature is pegged at 33.0 degrees Celsius and the minimum at 25.0 degrees Celsius.

The IMD said that there was an 85 per cent possibility of rain in Delhi on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the Southwest Monsoon, which is on the verge of getting over with the end of this month, will remain active in the national capital and its adjoining areas for at least two weeks from now.

The IMD has predicted heavy to moderate rains that will break 57 years of monsoon record for the month of September.

Till Friday, a total of 1,170.7 mm of rain has been recorded in Delhi so far this monsoon season.

Earlier it was in the year 1964 when 1,190.9 mm of rain was recorded, meaning the national capital needs only 20.02 mm of downpour to break the record.

In 1933, 1,420.3 mm of rain was recorded which was the highest in the last 121 years.

According to meteorologists, if the rain record in Delhi crosses 1,190.9 mm, then it will be the second-highest in the last 121 years.

The Safdarjung Observatory had also gauged 1,150 mm of rainfall in the monsoon season in 1975.

On the air quality front, New Delhi Air Quality Index (AQI) at 11 a.m. stood at 147 which falls under the 'unhealthy category' with only Model Town in Indira Vikas Colony recording good quality air at 4.

The IMD has also predicted thunderstorms with light to moderate intensity rain over regions like Maharashtra, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.

Starting from Rajasthan, this year's monsoon session will bid farewell by September 29.

However, Delhi will continue to receive rainfall for about a fortnight after that before it prepares itself for autumn.