The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued issued a yellow alert for light to moderate rainfall in the National Capital Region (NCR). As the city cools after rainfall, when will the next heatwave grip the region? Here’s what IMD has predicted
Published: May 2, 2026 8:43 PM IST
The India Meteorological Department issued a yellow alert for light to moderate rainfall for the next two days in the Delhi-NCR region, while warning residents of potential rain and thunderstorms. This comes as the national capital witnessed an increase in both maximum and minimum temperatures on Saturday morning.
The yellow alert for the next two days indicates possible weather disturbances. An IMD official stated, “A spell of very light to light rain, accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning, and strong winds of 30-40 km/h, gusting up to 50 km/h, is likely to occur on Sunday.” Similar conditions may persist into Monday.
Mahesh Palawat, vice president of Skymet, said, “A fresh western disturbance is expected to influence the region in the coming days, leading to a cyclonic circulation over adjoining areas. Light rain might occur in parts of the city for the next few days, and there is no possibility of a heatwave at least for the next week.”
According to IMD, the maximum temperature is expected to be around 36-38 degrees Celsius on Sunday, while the minimum temperature is likely to be around 26-28 degrees.
Temperature recorded in Delhi
On Saturday, the minimum temperature recorded at Safdarjung, the city’s representative weather station, was 25.9 degrees Celsius, which is a 3.1-degree increase from the previous day and 1.2 degrees above normal. The maximum temperature reached 38.6 degrees Celsius, which is 0.7 degrees below normal but 2.2 degrees higher than the day before.
Other weather stations also recorded a similar rise in maximum and minimum temperature, though the maximum temperature remained below the normal. Palam recorded a maximum of 38 degrees Celsius, which is 2.9 degrees higher than the day prior and 2.1 degrees below normal. Its minimum temperature was logged at 23.6 degrees Celsius, 2.3 degrees higher than on Friday.
Lodhi Road reported a minimum of 24.8 degrees Celsius, a rise of three degrees from the previous day, while Ridge noted a 3.3-degree increase, and Ayanagar had a 4.2-degree rise, with minimum temperatures at Ridge and Ayanagar being 23.7 degrees Celsius and 25.6 degrees Celsius, respectively.
Delhi’s AQI
The city’s air quality remained in the moderate category. The 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 144 (moderate) at 4 pm on Saturday, compared to an AQI of 120 at the same time on Friday, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
According to CPCB standards, an AQI of 0-50 is considered ‘good’, 51-100 ‘satisfactory’, 101-200 ‘moderate’, 201-300 ‘poor’, 301-400 ‘very poor’, and 401-500 ‘severe’. The Air Quality Early Warning System (AQEWS) for Delhi has forecast the AQI to remain in the moderate category for the next few days.
With inputs from PTI
