Yellow alert issued for Delhi as thunderstorms loom; mercury to climb later this week

New Delhi (PTI): The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a yellow alert for Delhi on Monday and Tuesday, warning of possible thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds in the region.

The maximum temperature in the capital on Monday settled at 36.1 degrees Celsius, 3.9 degrees below the season's average, while the minimum was recorded at 22.6 degrees Celsius, 4.3 notches below normal.

Delhi is likely to witness generally cloudy skies with light rain or thunderstorm activity over the next two days, the IMD said.

Gusty winds ranging from 40 to 50 kmph, temporarily reaching up to 60 kmph during thunderstorms, have been forecast.

The maximum temperature on Tuesday is expected to hover between 35 and 37 degrees Celsius, while the minimum may remain between 22 and 24 degrees Celsius.

No heat wave conditions are expected.

Thunderstorms with lightning and strong surface winds are likely during the day, prompting the weather office to advise caution.

On Wednesday, cloudy skies and brief rain or storm activity may persist.

From June 5 onwards, weather conditions are forecast to stabilize with partly cloudy skies and rising temperatures. Daytime temperatures are set to touch 38 to 40 degrees Celsius between June 5 and 8, and the minimum is expected to gradually increase to 26 to 28 degrees Celsius.

Despite the warming trend, the IMD has clearly stated that no heat wave conditions are likely over the next seven days. Winds are expected to shift northwesterly later in the week, with moderate speeds of 20 to 30 kmph.

Relative humidity was recorded at 67 per cent at 8:30 am and dropped to 51 per cent by 5:30 pm.

According to the IMD, the yellow alert means generally cloudy sky, very light to light rain/thunderstorm/lightning and gusty winds (speed 40 to 50 kmph) temporarily reaching to 60 kmph during thunderstorm.

Meanwhile, the AQI is clocked at 158, according to the Central Pollution Control Board's (CPCB) national bulletin for the past 24 hours.

According to the CPCB, an AQI between zero and 50 is considered "good", 51 and 100 "satisfactory", 101 and 200 "moderate", 201 and 300 "poor", 301 and 400 "very poor", and 401 and 500 "severe".