A day after recording its earliest 30C-plus February temperature in five years, Delhi woke up to light rain on Wednesday, February 18, bringing a noticeable change in weather conditions across the city.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), light rainfall or drizzle was “very likely” over Delhi and the National Capital Region. Scattered showers were also expected to spread into parts of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan over the next few hours. The weather office forecast gusty winds reaching 30–40 kmph during the afternoon.
Rain spreads across neighbouring states
The IMD said light rainfall was likely in several areas of Haryana, including Sonipat, Jhajjar, Rewari, Mahendargarh, Nuh and Palwal. Showers were also expected in parts of western Uttar Pradesh, such as Bagpat, Modinagar and Pilakhua, and in Rajasthan’s Bhiwari, Alwar and Rajgarh, among others.
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Very light rainfall or drizzle was forecast in additional districts across the three states, extending the impact of the weather system beyond the capital.
After an unusually warm spell
The rain follows an unseasonably warm start to the week. On Monday, Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 31.6C, the highest of the year so far and around seven degrees above the seasonal average. Data shows this was the earliest the mercury crossed 30C in February since 2021, when 30.4C was recorded on February 11.
Tuesday remained warmer than usual, with the maximum settling at 30.9C, about 6.5 degrees above normal, as per IMD data.
Station-wise readings showed Ayanagar recorded the highest minimum temperature at 13.8C, while Safdarjung logged 12.4C. Palam reported a minimum of 15.3C. Safdarjung also recorded the highest maximum temperature at 30.9C on Tuesday.
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For Wednesday, the IMD has projected a cooler day, with the maximum temperature likely around 27C and the minimum near 14C.
Air quality remains ‘poor’
Despite the rain, Delhi’s air quality remained in the ‘poor’ category on Tuesday. The Central Pollution Control Board recorded the city’s average Air Quality Index (AQI) at 249. Under CPCB standards, an AQI between 201 and 300 falls in the ‘poor’ range.
