Rain, gusty winds to keep Delhi-NCR cool till June 4; AQI in satisfactory category

New Delhi: The residents of Delhi-NCR are likely to experience continued relief from the summer heat as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast rain accompanied by gusty winds across the region until June 4. The weather conditions are expected to keep daytime temperatures below 40 degrees Celsius through at least June 6.

The IMD has issued a yellow alert for Monday and Tuesday, warning of light to moderate rainfall and strong winds. No colour-coded weather warning has been issued for Wednesday and Thursday.

According to the weather department, the maximum temperature is expected to remain between 35 degrees Celsius and 38 degrees Celsius on Monday and Tuesday. From Wednesday onwards, it is likely to stay in the range of 37 to 39 degrees Celsius until Saturday. Night-time temperatures are also expected to rise gradually and may touch 29 degrees Celsius by the middle of the week.

On Sunday, the city recorded a maximum temperature of 35.8 degrees Celsius, which was four degrees below the seasonal average. The previous day, the maximum temperature stood at 37.1 degrees Celsius. Although no significant rainfall was recorded on Sunday, cloudy skies and cool winds helped maintain pleasant weather.

The easing of the intense May heat continued on Saturday (May 30) as gusty winds and afternoon showers brought further respite to residents. The maximum temperature settled at 37.1 degrees Celsius, more than three degrees below normal, while the minimum temperature was recorded at 24.6 degrees Celsius.

The city is expected to witness partly cloudy skies on Monday and Tuesday. Thereafter, weather conditions are likely to remain largely clear until Friday.

Weather-related improvements also had a positive impact on Delhi’s air quality. Rainfall and stronger winds helped disperse pollutants, resulting in the cleanest air recorded in the city in over 230 days. The Air Quality Index (AQI) dropped to 85, placing it in the “satisfactory” category. This was the lowest AQI recorded since October 8, when the index stood at 80.

Several monitoring stations reported satisfactory air quality levels. AQI readings included 63 at Anand Vihar, 92 at Ashok Vihar, 87 at Aya Nagar, 73 at Burari Crossing, 79 at DTU, 107 at Dwarka Sector-8, 94 at IIT Delhi, 60 at JNU, and 98 at Narela.

Meanwhile, Delhi recorded its lowest average AQI for the January-May period in eight years, barring 2020 when Covid-19 restrictions significantly curtailed economic and transport activities, according to the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM).

In a post on X, CAQM stated that the city recorded an average AQI of 211 in 2026, marking an improvement over previous years.

“The avg AQI of Delhi for Jan-May during 2026 has been the lowest in 08 years (barring Covid-year 2020) as it recorded 211, as against 214 in 2025, 231 in 2024, 213 in 2023, 238 in 2022, 235 in 2021, 181 in 2020, 237 in 2019 and 243 in 2018, during the corresponding period,” CAQM’s post read.

IANS