LIGHT RAINFALL LIKELY

ern Himalayan Region on Sunday and Monday, the Met department said.

Isolated hailstorm is also very likely over Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, West Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan on Sunday, and over Uttarakhand on Sunday and Monday. Strong

Under the influence of a western disturbance, the region normally sees moisture-laden easterly to southeasterly winds, which are warmer than northwesterly winds. This, coupled with cloudy skies, tends to drive up the minimum temperature to a higher than normal value.

This is the second active western disturbance of January after the first between January 24 and 25 brought slight respite from the cold wave conditions in Delhi.

Delhi’s minimum temperature on Sunday was recorded at 6.4 degrees Celsius – three degrees below normal and 0.3 degrees higher than Saturday’s minimum.

IMD also said this was the highest fall in maximum temperature between two consecutive days this winter season so far, with Sunday’s maximum dipping by 6.6 degrees as compared to Saturday’s high of 23.8 degrees Celsius. “Such a drastic fall in the maximum between two consecutive days was mainly on account of good cloud cover and strong winds,” an IMD official said.

Prior to this, Delhi last received a spell of “trace” rain at Safdarjung on January 12, snapping a 91-day streak without rain.

Trace rainfall is precipitation that is too small to be measured by standard units or methods of measurement.

Before the January 12 event, the city received 0.4mm rain on October 12 last year.

To be sure, according to Delhi’s long-period average, the capital receives 6mm of rainfall in November, 8.1mm in December and the normal mark for January is 19.1mm.

Delhi is still well short of its normal rainfall mark in January, despite the 3.3mm recorded on Sunday, with the deficit unlikely to be bridged until the month ends, officials indicated.

Despite rain, Delhi’s air quality deteriorated on Sunday.

According to Central Pollution Control Board’s 24-hour air quality index (AQI), the city recorded a reading of 331 (very poor) at 4pm on Sunday, a dip from Saturday’s 236 (poor).

Forecasts by the Early Warning System (EWS) for Delhi show that a combination of rain and increased wind speed is likely to improve the AQI to the “moderate” category by Monday.

“Delhi’s air quality is likely to improve to the moderate category on January 30. The AQI will then deteriorate to the poor category on January 31 and while it will improve on February 1, it will still be in the poor category,” the EWS forecast showed.