Delhi records hottest July day in two years as IMD issues orange alert for more rain

Delhi witnessed its hottest July day in nearly two years on Sunday, with the maximum temperature climbing to 38.6 degrees Celsius even as parts of the city received moderate rainfall. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has now issued an orange alert for Monday, forecasting more showers and generally cloudy skies across the national capital.According to the IMD, Sunday’s maximum temperature was two degrees above normal and the highest recorded in July since July 11, 2024, when Delhi touched 38.8 degrees Celsius. The minimum temperature settled at 29.2 degrees Celsius, 1.3 degrees above normal, making it the warmest July night since July 2, 2024.Rainfall brought temporary relief to several areas during the afternoon. Chhatarpur recorded the highest rainfall in the Delhi-NCR region at 49 mm till 2.30 pm, while Gurugram received 35 mm. Other areas that witnessed showers included Mehrauli (18 mm), Greater Noida (17 mm), Najafgarh (8 mm) and Janakpuri (7 mm). However, the rain also caused waterlogging in parts of Chhatarpur, affecting local traffic.The weather office has predicted a generally cloudy sky with moderate rainfall on Monday. Temperatures are expected to remain lower, with the maximum likely to settle around 32 degrees Celsius and the minimum near 27 degrees Celsius.Humidity levels remained high throughout the day, reaching 92 per cent by 5.30 pm.Meanwhile, Delhi’s air quality stayed in the ‘moderate’ category. The Central Pollution Control Board’s Sameer app recorded the Air Quality Index (AQI) at 155 at 8 pm, which falls within the moderate range of 101 to 200.Weather experts attributed the changing conditions to a low-pressure area over Odisha and an associated cyclonic circulation extending across parts of Madhya Pradesh and southern Sindh. They said the seasonal monsoon trough is expected to shift back towards Delhi and the Indo-Gangetic plains over the coming days, bringing more widespread and typical monsoon rainfall to the region.