Delhi-NCR wakes up to rain, orange alert issued; temperature likely to drop

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, January 23, 2026: Several parts of Delhi received rainfall on Friday morning, leading to a dip in temperatures across the national capital.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said cloudy conditions are likely to persist through the day and warned that thunderstorms may occur due to an active western disturbance. The department forecast a couple of spells of light rain during the morning, accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds of 30–40 kmph.

Another spell of very light to light rain is expected later in the afternoon or evening.

The showers are likely to provide some relief from the city’s poor air quality, which has persisted for nearly two months. On Thursday, Delhi recorded an average Air Quality Index (AQI) of 313.

As per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), an AQI of 0–50 is considered ‘good’, 51–100 ‘satisfactory’, 101–200 ‘moderate’, 201–300 ‘poor’, 301–400 ‘very poor’ and 401–500 ‘severe’.

Meanwhile, maximum temperatures across Delhi on Thursday remained well above normal, with Safdarjung recording the highest at 27.1°C, around 6.8°C above normal. In contrast, minimum temperatures were below normal, with Safdarjung logging 6.3°C, about 1.2°C lower than the seasonal average.