New Delhi, June 17 (IANS) Residents of the national capital woke up to a relatively pleasant Wednesday morning as partly cloudy skies and cooler-than-usual temperatures provided relief from the intense summer heat. The weather is expected to remain comfortable through the day, with chances of light rainfall and thunderstorms during the afternoon and evening hours.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Delhi is likely to witness partly cloudy conditions accompanied by light rain, thunderstorms, and lightning activity at isolated locations. The maximum temperature is expected to hover between 33 degrees and 35 degrees Celsius, while the minimum temperature may remain between 26 degrees and 28 degrees Celsius.

Meteorologists said both daytime and nighttime temperatures are likely to stay below seasonal averages. While minimum temperatures are expected to remain close to normal levels, maximum temperatures may stay 1.6 degrees to 3 degrees Celsius below normal across most parts of the city.

Meanwhile, Delhi experienced a significant change in weather on Tuesday when rain, gusty winds, and overcast conditions brought a sharp drop in temperatures. The spell of wet weather helped break the heatwave-like conditions witnessed over the past several days and resulted in the coolest day recorded in the city so far this June.

At Safdarjung, the city’s primary weather observatory, the maximum temperature settled at 33.3 degrees Celsius, which was 5.5 degrees below the normal mark for this time of the year. Similar conditions were observed across several parts of the National Capital Region (NCR).

Weather experts believe temperatures are unlikely to rise sharply in the immediate future due to the continued presence of moisture in the atmosphere. The IMD has forecast thunderstorm activity in and around Delhi until June 21. A gradual increase in temperatures is expected after that period, with a more noticeable rise likely during the final week of June.

The weather department has also predicted the influence of a fresh Western Disturbance, which could trigger light to moderate rainfall across the Western Himalayan region between June 18 and June 22. Isolated showers and thunderstorm activity are also expected over parts of northwest India during the same period.

Meanwhile, Delhi’s air quality remained in the ‘moderate’ category. Several monitoring stations reported AQI readings ranging from satisfactory to moderate levels, reflecting improved atmospheric conditions following recent rainfall and stronger surface winds.

Anand Vihar recorded an AQI of 155, Ashok Vihar (83), Bawana (85), Burari Crossing (73), Chandni Chowk (92), DTU (56), Dwarka-Sector 8 (101), IIT Delhi (102), ITO (70), JNU (58), Narela (87), North Campus (77), Pusa (128), RK Puram (79), Sonia Vihar (82), Wazirpur (110).

–IANS

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