Capital receives light showers

New Delhi: Parts of the national Capital received light rain on Saturday morning, while the minimum temperature rose to 7 degrees Celsius due to a cloud cover over the city, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

At 441, the air quality index (AQI) of Delhi was recorded in 'severe' category for the second day in a row. The monitoring stations in many parts of the city including ITO, Mandir Marg, Sirifort, RK Puram and Punjabi Bagh showed the AQI in 'severe' category.

"Moderate" fog lowered visibility to 201 metres at Safdarjung.

A Met official said 1.2 mm rain was recorded at Safdarjung and Lodhi Road after 8.30 am. The maximum temperature was recorded at 19.2 degrees Celsius, he said.

"As per our forecast, the impact of a western disturbance has begun over northwest India, including Delhi. Palam has reported 0.4 mm rainfall. Ridge, Ayanagar and Lodi Road recorded traces of rainfall," the IMD said.

The minimum temperature in Delhi is likely to rise to 9 degrees Celsius in the next two to three days under the influence of the western disturbance, it said.

On Friday, the mercury plummeted to 1.1 degrees Celsius, the lowest in 15 years for January, and "very dense" fog lowered visibility to "zero" metres.

On January 8, 2006, the city had recorded a minimum of 0.2 degree Celsius. The all-time record is minus 0.6 degree Celsius registered in January 1935.

The lowest minimum temperature recorded in January last year was 2.4 degrees Celsius, the IMD said.

Kuldeep Srivastava, the head of the IMD's regional forecasting centre, said the minimum temperature has started rising under the influence of the "intense" western disturbance, which will affect northwest India till January 6.

Light rain is expected in Delhi over the next two to three days, he added.