Delhi Weather Today: Rain, lightning and wind likely up to 60 kmph on Sunday, says IMD | Today’s news
Delhi is likely to witness another spell of rain and thunderstorms on Sunday, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issuing a yellow warning for the capital and forecasting gusty winds of up to 60 kmph during the evening hours.
The Meteorological Department has predicted that residents may experience very light to light rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning and strong ground-level winds, extending the spell of relatively pleasant weather that brought relief from the intense heat experienced earlier this month.
“Very light to light rain is possible on Sunday accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning and strong surface winds of 40 to 50 kmph gusting to 60 kmph in the evening,” an IMD official said.
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According to the forecast, the maximum temperature in Delhi is expected to be between 36 and 38 degrees Celsius on Sunday, while the minimum temperature is likely to be between 22 and 24 degrees Celsius.
The yellow warning continues after a rainy Saturday
The yellow alert remains in force after light to moderate rainfall accompanied by strong winds lashed several parts of Delhi on Saturday.
Weather stations across the city recorded varying amounts of rainfall between 2.30pm and 5.30pm. Safdarjung recorded 0.9 mm of rainfall, Lodhi Road received 3.8 mm, Ridge recorded 0.4 mm, Ayanagar recorded 0.2 mm and Mayur Vihar recorded 4 mm of rainfall. Palam reported traces of rainfall during the same period.
Strong winds were also recorded in several places. According to IMD data, Palam witnessed wind speed reaching 70 kmph at 4:02 pm, while Pragati Maidan and Pusa recorded gusts of 59 kmph and 54 kmph respectively. Safdarjung reported a wind speed of 38 kmph.
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Temperatures are dropping in the capital
Recent rain activity has contributed to a significant drop in temperatures in Delhi.
Safdarjung, the city’s base weather station, recorded a minimum temperature of 24.6 degrees Celsius on Saturday, which was two degrees below normal and 0.7 degrees less than the previous day.
The station recorded a minimum temperature of 25.3 degrees Celsius on Friday and 28.4 degrees Celsius on Thursday, indicating a steady cooling trend.
The maximum temperature in Safdarjung settled at 37.2 degrees Celsius, 3.2 degrees below normal.
Lower minimum temperatures were also reported by other weather stations. Palam recorded 21.5 degrees Celsius, Lodhi Road reported 23.2 degrees Celsius, while Ridge and Ayanagar recorded minimum temperatures of 22.3 degrees Celsius and 22.6 degrees Celsius.
Delhi records cleanest May in five years
The improvement in weather conditions also had a positive impact on air quality.
According to data from the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), Delhi recorded its cleanest May in the last five years in 2026, with an average air quality index (AQI) of 161 till May 29.
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The city recorded an average AQI of 170 in May 2025 and 223 in May 2024. The last cleaner May was recorded in 2021, when the monthly average AQI was 144.
On Saturday, Delhi’s 24-hour average AQI improved to 85, placing it in the “satisfactory” category. It was the city’s fourth day of satisfactory air quality this month and the cleanest day in May since 2023, when an AQI of 76 was recorded on May 2.
According to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) norms, AQI values between 51 and 100 are categorized as satisfactory.
Experts attributed the improvement in air quality to occasional rain and strong winds that helped disperse pollutants and flush particles from the atmosphere.
A month of extreme weather
The pleasant conditions at the end of May contrast with the extreme weather witnessed in Delhi at the beginning of the month.
The capital recorded its hottest May in two years with an average maximum temperature of 39.7 degrees Celsius and an average minimum temperature of 25.8 degrees Celsius.
Between 18 and 21 May, conditions were hot, with temperatures exceeding 46 degrees Celsius in some parts of the city.
Delhi also experienced unusually warm nights. The minimum temperature reached 32.8 degrees Celsius on May 26 and 31.9 degrees Celsius on May 21, among the highest night temperatures recorded in the city in the last 14 years.
Meteorologists attributed the dramatic weather swings to a combination of western disturbances, driven by cyclonic circulations over Rajasthan and adjoining areas, and winds from the moisture-laden Bay of Bengal.
Without the immediate threat of heat waves
Looking ahead, weather experts do not expect heat waves to return during the first week of June.
Mahesh Palawat of Skymet Weather said that while temperatures may rise gradually as the current spell of rain weakens and moves away from the region, no heat waves are expected in the coming days.
Meanwhile, the Air Quality Early Warning System (AQEWS) has predicted that the AQI in Delhi will remain in the moderate category for the next few days, indicating that the air quality may continue to remain relatively better than normal during the summer months.
For now, residents of Delhi can expect another day of cloudy skies, scattered rainfall and gusty winds as the city begins June on a comparatively cooler note.
