Rain Brings Record Cold and Clean Air to Delhi as IMD Predicts South, East Showers

Delhi experienced an unusually cold October day after persistent rainfall caused temperatures to drop significantly. The maximum temperature at the Safdarjung station fell to 20.7 degrees Celsius, which is 10.3 degrees below normal and the lowest October daytime temperature recorded at the location since 1951. The city recorded 61.4 mm of precipitation during the event.

The rain led to a significant improvement in air quality across the capital, bringing the daily Air Quality Index down to 60. According to research reports, this marked the cleanest single-day October air in four years, while the monthly average dropped to its lowest point since 2015. However, forecasting systems indicate that air quality could deteriorate back to poor and very poor categories in the following days.

Weather officials project clearer conditions for Delhi over the weekend, but forecast widespread rain and thunderstorms across other parts of India through early November. Southern, eastern, and northeastern regions are expected to see heavy rainfall, strong winds, and stormy conditions, with severe weather warnings issued for coastal areas and the Bay of Bengal.