Rains add to winter chill, improve air quality in Delhi

New Delhi: Heavy rains that lashed Delhi added to the winter chill and improved the city's air quality on Thursday.

The Safdarjung observatory, considered the official marker for Delhi, received 27 mm of precipitation in the last 24 hours ending at 8.30 am on Thursday, an official said.

Delhi's Air Quality Index on Thursday morning stood at 250, which is a marked improvement compared to 386 at 7 pm on Wednesday.

An AQI 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'.

The minimum temperature on Thursday was recorded at 12.3 degrees Celsius, a notch below the season's average while the humidity at 8.30 am was 100 per cent.

The weatherman has forecast a generally cloudy sky with very light rain for the day. The maximum temperature is expected to settle around 19 degrees Celsius.

Parts of the national capital were lashed by rainfall on Wednesday with the city recording a significant drop in the maximum temperature.