Delhi records 38.5°C, IMD forecasts rain and thunderstorms on Monday

DElhi recorded a upper limit temperature of 38.5 degrees anders celsius on lord's day, 1.4 degrees beneath the seasonal average out, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).The weather department has forecast very light to light rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms and gusty winds on Monday afternoon and evening. The maximum and minimum temperatures are expected to settle around 39 degrees Celsius and 26 degrees Celsius, respectively.Also Read | Delhi under red alert as IMD warns of thunderstorms, lightning and winds gusting up to 80 kmphDelhi's key weather stationsMaximum temperatures across Delhi's key weather stations ranged between 38.4 degrees Celsius and 39.1 degrees Celsius on Sunday. Ridge was the hottest at 39.1 degrees Celsius, followed by Lodi Road at 38.7 degrees Celsius and Palam at 38.6 degrees Celsius. Safdarjung, the city's base station, recorded a maximum of 38.5 degrees Celsius, while Ayanagar registered 38.4 degrees Celsius.Minimum temperatures varied between 23.4 degrees Celsius and 26.2 degrees Celsius. Safdarjung recorded the highest minimum temperature at 26.2 degrees Celsius, followed by Palam at 25.6 degrees Celsius and Ayanagar at 24.8 degrees Celsius. Ridge was the coolest station with a minimum temperature of 23.4 degrees Celsius.Also Read | Strong winds likely over Delhi-NCR over the next two hours, says regional met centreDelhi' AQI and humidityRelative humidity stood at 61 per cent at 8.30 am.Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 151 in the 'moderate' category at 4 pm, according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data.A recent spell of rainfall has brought relief from the intense heat across Delhi and other parts of North India. The wet spell is expected to continue till June 19, with rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms and gusty winds likely over Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana and Punjab.In its latest bulletin, the IMD predicted isolated to scattered rainfall over Delhi between June 13 and June 19. The capital has witnessed thunderstorms, lightning and rain over the past few days due to the influence of a western disturbance over the Himalayan region. However, weather experts said the system is gradually weakening and moving away, reducing its impact on Delhi.According to experts, humidity levels are likely to rise in the coming days, leading to uncomfortable weather conditions despite the respite from extreme heat. With rainfall activity expected to decrease gradually, maximum temperatures are also likely to inch up over the next few days.