New Delhi, Dec 28 (NationPress) On Saturday, Delhi and its adjacent regions experienced moderate to heavy rainfall, accompanied by a hailstorm, leading to a sharp decline in temperatures.

The rainfall commenced early in the morning and is anticipated to persist throughout the day, causing a steep drop in temperatures.

This weather phenomenon affects areas such as Palam, Safdarjung, Lodi Road, IGI Airport, Mehrauli, Chhattarpur, Ayanagar, Deramandi, Gurugram, Faridabad, and Manesar. Additionally, Noida and Manesar are anticipated to experience moderate to heavy rainfall and lightning.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an 'orange' alert for Delhi, signaling that severe weather conditions are likely to continue.

The heavy rainfall and strong winds have resulted in the uprooting of trees across several areas of the national capital.

In Sector-9, RK Puram, a section of a road collapsed, leading to a motorcycle and a car falling into the affected area.

The IMD has also predicted light to moderate rainfall along with thunderstorms in parts of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan. This includes areas like Yamunanagar, Jhajjar, Farukhnagar, and Hodal in Haryana; Saharanpur, Gangoh, Deoband, Muzaffarnagar, Sakoti Tanda, Baraut, Daurala, Baghpat, Meerut, Modinagar, Kithor, and Nandgaon in Uttar Pradesh; and Tizara and Alwar in Rajasthan.

Meanwhile, heavy rainfall affected multiple areas of Mathura city in Uttar Pradesh on Friday night.

On Friday, relentless rain resulted in extensive waterlogging and severe traffic congestion throughout various parts of Delhi.

The minimum temperature recorded in the city on Saturday was 12 degrees Celsius, while the maximum reached 19 degrees Celsius.

According to the IMD, Delhi experienced its highest recorded rainfall in December in the past 15 years on Friday. The heavy downpour began early Thursday and continued all day.

This rainfall has slightly improved Delhi's air quality, which, however, still remains in the 'very poor' category. As of 2 p.m., the Air Quality Index (AQI) was reported at 355, as per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

Specific AQI readings indicated levels of 390 in Anand Vihar, 314 at IGI Airport (T3), 329 in Aya Nagar, 327 at Lodhi Road, 360 at ITO, 300 in Chandni Chowk, and 361 in Punjabi Bagh.

In comparison, AQI readings at 7 a.m. were higher: 398 in Anand Vihar, 340 at IGI Airport (T3), 360 in Aya Nagar, 345 at Lodhi Road, 380 at ITO, 315 in Chandni Chowk, and 386 in Punjabi Bagh.

The central government’s air quality monitoring panel recently lifted Stage IV ('Severe+') measures under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) due to improved air quality. However, Stages I, II, and III remain active to prevent further decline, as stated by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) on December 24.

The enhancement in air quality has been linked to favorable meteorological conditions, including improved wind speeds, according to forecasts by the IMD and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM).