Archive · 20 Aug 2026
Delhi Rains Bring Relief as Air Quality Remains Poor
Heavy rain fell in parts of Delhi early Thursday.
It made the hot and sticky weather feel better.
More light rain and thunderstorms may happen later.
Temperatures are expected to stay around 31 to 33 degrees Celsius.
Rain is also falling heavily in several other Indian states.
Some places, including parts of Uttar Pradesh, received the highest-level rain warnings.
In Himachal Pradesh, rain blocked many roads and affected power and water supplies.
Delhi’s air was still unhealthy, even after the rain.
Heavy rain hit parts of Delhi-NCR early Thursday, easing hot and humid conditions.
The India Meteorological Department forecast light rain and possible thunderstorms later Thursday.
Temperatures were expected to remain between 31 and 33 degrees Celsius.
The monsoon remained active across several states, prompting heavy-rainfall alerts in some districts.
Delhi’s air quality stayed poor, with Anand Vihar recording an AQI of 264.
- Who
- Residents of Delhi-NCR and people in several monsoon-affected Indian states.
- What
- Heavy rain brought relief from humidity in Delhi, while poor air quality and weather-related disruptions continued.
- When
- Early Thursday, with more rain and thunderstorms forecast through Thursday afternoon and evening.
- Where
- Delhi-NCR, with heavy-rain impacts also reported in Himachal Pradesh, Assam, Gujarat, Odisha, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.
- Why
- The rain was associated with an active monsoon and eased Delhi’s hot, humid conditions, while also creating disruption and rainfall-related risks elsewhere.
- Delhi temperature
- Expected to remain around 31–33 degrees Celsius.
- Afternoon rainfall forecast
- Light rain was forecast from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., with a 20% probability.
- Evening forecast
- Scattered thunderstorms were likely from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., with rainfall probability rising to 35%.
- Highest Delhi AQI
- Anand Vihar recorded an AQI of 264, followed by Bawana at 249.
- Uttar Pradesh alerts
- Red alerts for extremely heavy rainfall were issued for Banda, Prayagraj and Mirzapur.
- Himachal Pradesh disruption
- 166 roads, 130 power transformers and 222 water supply schemes were affected.
- Worst-hit Himachal district
- Mandi had 84 blocked roads, the highest district total reported.