Winds, showers bring Delhi’s max temperature 13°C below normal

Residents of the Capital were on Monday welcomed by an unusually cool May Day, with overcast skies, a constant breeze and intermittent rain throughout the day keeping the temperature at levels well below normal and clearing the air of pollutants.

Delhi clocked a maximum temperature of 26.1 degrees Celsius (°C), a massive 13 degrees below normal (39.3°C), in what was the city’s coldest start to May since at least 2011, showed data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

In contrast, the maximum was 43.5°C on May 1 last year and 40°C in 2021. Monday was also Delhi’s coolest day since March 18, when the temperature peaked at 25.3°C.

The city last enjoyed a cooler May Day only two years ago, though. On May 19, 2021, Delhi’s maximum temperature was 23.8°C, 17 degrees below normal for that time, largely under the impact of Cyclone Tauktae, which brought the city 119.3mm of rain in 24 hours.

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The minimum temperature, meanwhile, was 19.6°C, five below normal.

Gurugram and Noida were even cooler on Monday, with the maximums capping off at 25.6°C and 25.4°C. The minimum was meanwhile recorded at 20.4°C and 19.1°C.

Safdarjung, Delhi’s base weather station, received 14.8mm rain between 8.30am and 5.30pm on Monday, with the sudden, sharp spell of afternoon rain impacting traffic across the city just as schools dispersed. Several key stretches and crossings in the city, including Aurobindo Marg, Ma Anandmayee Marg, Kalkaji, parts of Ring Road, Africa Avenue, IP Estate, and Sunder Nagar reported traffic snarls in the afternoon, with the traffic police saying the traffic situation in the rest of the Capital was largely under control. Delhi usually gets 30.7mm rain throughout May.

The Met department has issued a yellow alert for the Capital for Tuesday, forecasting light rain and gusty winds through the day.

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The unusual start to May picks up where April left off.

Delhi on Sunday logged a maximum temperature of 28.7°C, the lowest for the second-half of April in at least 13 years.

Meanwhile on Monday, most of Delhi woke up to intermittent rain, with cool winds of 20-30kmph bringing in a chill.

Ashok Kumar, who runs a tea stall in West Patel Nagar, said sales went through the roof on Monday morning, and there was a similar flurry in activity on Sunday, owing to the rain on both days. “It does not feel like May at all. In fact at this time of year, tea sales are fairly low and we look to sell other food items. However, people, some of them clad in jackets, were specifically coming here to buy tea on Monday morning. This is unheard of in May,” he said.

Aarti Khosla, director at the environmental organisation Climate Trends, said these erratic weather patterns are a clear indicator of the climate crisis, adding that excess rain or frequent heat waves can be dangerous. “We are already starting to see the impact on crops, which may be damaged due to such fluctuations in weather patterns. People’s productivity and health will also be impacted.”

Most stations in the city logged rainfall on Monday, with waterlogging being reported at several points. While the Ridge weather station recorded 21.2mm of rain, Lodhi Road received 13.3mm and the Sports Complex station in Akshardham received 16mm.

According to IMD, the impact of the western disturbance influencing the region will continue on Tuesday and Wednesday, with a yellow alert in place for light rain and gusty winds, while the intensity of rain will start reducing from Thursday onwards.

“Similar weather is expected over the next 48 hours as well with intermittent showers. We will largely see cloudy conditions and wind speed will also be strong, touching 40kmph in some places,” said Kuldeep Srivastava, adding the impact of this western disturbance will be over by May 5, when no rain is likely.

“The maximum will gradually start rising from Friday, with the mercury touching 35°C by Sunday. However, the maximum will remain below normal,” he added.

May generally sees one to two spells of light to moderate pre-monsoon showers. Last May, Delhi received 47.7mm of rainfall, while in 2021, it received 144.8mm of rainfall. The all-time rainfall record for May is 165mm in 2008.

Despite spells of isolated rain, temperature in May can touch 45°C in parts of the Capital. Last May, the highest maximum recorded in the month was 45.6°Con May 16. In 2021, the highest maximum was 41.6°C (May 5), while in 2020, it was 46°C (May 27). The all-time highest maximum temperature record for May is 47.2°C, recorded on May 29, 1944.

IMD’s forecast for the month of May shows temperature in large parts of northwest India is likely to be around normal, or below normal. Already, the months of March and April have seen excess rain, coupled with a lower-than-usual monthly average maximum.

Meanwhile, the combination of this spell of rain and strong winds saw Delhi’s air quality return to the “satisfactory” range. Delhi’s 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) reading was 86 (satisfactory) according to the Central Pollution Control Board’s daily national bulletin, the lowest since 73 on March 31 this year.

It was 132 (moderate) on Sunday, while it was 216 (poor) on Saturday.

Forecasts show the AQI likely to remain in the “satisfactory” range on Tuesday, before returning to “moderate” on Wednesday.

An AQI reading 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”.

“Delhi’s air quality is likely to improve further on Tuesday, but it will still remain in the satisfactory category. The air quality is likely to return to the moderate category on Wednesday, staying in this range till Thursday,” said the Early Warning System for Delhi, a forecasting model under the ministry of earth sciences.

Ruchika Sharma, 27, who works as a consultant at a private company on Barakhamba Road said with summer heat still at bay this year due to more rain than usual, stepping out, particularly during the evening, has been a great experience. “I wish this kind of weather stays throughout May. In comparison to last year, there has hardly been any discomfort so far in summer,” she said.