More showers expected in Delhi after overnight rain; IMD says wettest October day in four years

New Delhi

Dark clouds and mist enveloped the capital on Friday (October 30, 2026) morning after overnight rain brought a chill to the air, as Delhi recorded its wettest October day in four years and its highest monthly rainfall since 2022. The change in weather has made the city’s air quality ‘satisfactory’.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a ‘red’ alert for the next few hours, warning of more rain and thunderstorms across several parts of the capital. The city received 61.4 mm of rain in the 24 hours ending 8.30 a.m. on Friday, with the month’s cumulative rainfall reaching 123.3 mm.

The last time Delhi recorded higher rainfall on a single October day was on October 9, 2022, when it received 74 mm. The city recorded 128 mm during the whole of October that year, a total the current month’s rainfall could approach or exceed, as more showers are expected.

The IMD said light to moderate rain accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning was very likely at most places over the next three hours, with heavy rain at isolated locations.

The ‘red’ alert covered parts of south-east Delhi, east Delhi, Shahdara, central Delhi, north-east Delhi, south Delhi, New Delhi, south-west Delhi, west Delhi, north-west Delhi and north Delhi.

The minimum temperature at Safdarjung, Delhi’s base weather station, settled at 17.2°C, 1.1 degrees above normal. Palam recorded a minimum of 15.4°C, 1.6 degrees below normal, while the Ridge recorded 16.8°C, 0.5 degrees below normal.

Lodi Road recorded 18°C, 3 degrees above normal, and Ayanagar 17.4°C, 1.1 degrees above normal. The maximum temperature is expected to settle around 27°C.

Station-wise data for the period between 8.30 a.m. on Thursday (October 29, 2026) and 6 a.m. on Friday showed that Jharoda Kalan recorded the highest rainfall at 89 mm, followed by Lodi Road at 63 mm and Safdarjung at 56.5 mm.

Jhajjar recorded 47 mm, Narayana 44.5 mm, Pitampura 42.5 mm, Pusa 41.5 mm, Kamla Nehru Nagar in Ghaziabad 41 mm, Pragati Maidan 40.9 mm, Gurugram 36 mm, Janakpuri 35.5 mm, Muradnagar 35 mm and Northcap University in Gurugram 30 mm. Lower totals were recorded at Mayur Vihar (9 mm) and Jafarpur (1 mm). Data was not available for Najafgarh, Mehrauli, Chhatarpur and Hindon in Ghaziabad.

The rain brought relief from pollution, with Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) at 90 at 9.30 a.m., in the ‘satisfactory’ category, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Data on the CPCB’s SAMEER app showed that 36 monitoring stations across the city recorded ‘satisfactory’ air quality, while 16 stations were in the ‘moderate’ category.

Under the CPCB’s scale, an AQI between zero and 50 is ‘good’, 51 to 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 to 200 ‘moderate’, 201 to 300 ‘poor’, 301 to 400 ‘very poor’ and 401 to 500 ‘severe’.