Delhi-NCR Wakes Up To Rain, Orange Alert Issued

Delhi-NCR woke up to widespread rainfall and thunderstorms this morning, Friday, January 23, 2026. The shift in weather has triggered significant alerts and a noticeable change in the city’s environment.

Weather & IMD Alerts

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued both Orange and Yellow alerts for the region:

Orange Alert: Valid until 10:00 AM, warning of moderate rain and thunderstorms with gusty winds between 40–60 kmph.
Yellow Alert: In place for the remainder of the day, as intermittent spells of light rain are expected through the afternoon and night.
Temperature Drop: While Safdarjung recorded a high of 27.1°C yesterday (the warmest January day in 7 years), temperatures are crashing today. The mercury is expected to settle between 12°C and 19°C today, falling further to 7°C tomorrow, January 24.

Air Quality Update

The rain has provided a much-needed “washout” effect for the city’s pollution:

Current AQI: Improved to 297 (Poor) as of 8:00 AM, moving out of the “Very Poor” (313+) territory recorded yesterday.
Outlook: Monitoring stations in Anand Vihar (317) and Wazirpur (351) still show elevated levels, but overall air quality is expected to shift toward the “Moderate” category if the rain persists.

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