Rain and thunderstorms lash Delhi; Air Quality Index remains in ‘poor’ category

New Delhi: A day after a dust storm swept through the national capital, heavy rainfall and gusty winds battered several parts of Delhi on Friday, bringing momentary relief from the scorching heat. The downpour, accompanied by lightning and strong winds ranging from 30 to 60 kilometres per hour, was reported from multiple localities, including Rohini, Burari, Punjabi Bagh, Delhi University, and Safdarjung.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) recorded 1.4 mm of rainfall at its Safdarjung observatory between 2:30 pm and 5:30 pm. Other weather stations registered higher figures — 7.2 mm in Aya Nagar, 3 mm at Ridge, 2.5 mm in Pusa, and 2 mm at Pitampura.

“Convection moving southeastward from Rohtak is likely to bring more showers over southeast Delhi, with wind speeds touching 60 km/h,” the IMD stated.

Despite the rainfall, temperatures stayed on the higher side. The Safdarjung observatory noted a maximum of 42.3 degrees Celsius, 1.9 degrees above normal. Aya Nagar saw 44 degrees, Palam 43.3, and Ridge 43.2 degrees. The minimum temperature settled at 26.2 degrees Celsius. The forecast for Saturday includes a thunderstorm with rain, with expected highs and lows of 42 and 28 degrees Celsius, respectively.

Meanwhile, the city’s air quality remained in the ‘poor’ category. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) recorded Delhi’s 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) at 278. The index had slipped into the ‘poor’ zone on Thursday morning after a sudden dust storm pushed levels to 236, breaking the city’s brief spell of ‘moderate’ air quality.

As pollution levels drew attention, political exchanges followed. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) alleged deteriorating air conditions under the current administration, with a party spokesperson stating, “The situation was never this concerning when we were in charge.” The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rejected the charge, calling it a “political stunt.”

However, official sources shared data suggesting an overall improvement in air quality in the first half of May 2025. According to them, only two days have been marked as ‘poor’ so far this month — the lowest in four years. “From May 1 to 15, 2025, Delhi saw just two ‘poor’ air quality days, compared to nine in 2022, six in 2023, and nine again in 2024,” a source said.

The same data indicated that although 2023 had two ‘satisfactory’ air quality days, it still recorded more days with ‘poor’ air than the current year. The figures were reportedly compiled from the Indian Meteorological Department and other monitoring sources.