After a sweltering day on Friday, residents of the national capital had a pleasant surprise when it suddenly started raining in the evening. The heavy downpour brought down the temperature.

During the day, the maximum temperature reached 41 degrees Celsius while the minimum was recorded at 25.6 degrees Celsius, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), even as there were signs of drizzles and thunderstorms.

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Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) is 219, which puts it back into the ‘poor’ category, said the weather department.

The IMD forecast is partly cloudy for Saturday with sky remaining overcast in the evening accompanied by drizzles and thunderstorms, lightning, dust storms, and winds with speeds ranging from 40 to 50 kmph gusting to 60 kmph during the evening.

The maximum and the minimum temperatures over Delhi are likely to be in the range of 37 to 39°C and 25 to 27°C, respectively.

Additionally, the predominant surface wind is likely from the southwest direction with a wind speed of 10-12 kmph during morning hours. The wind speed will gradually increase thereafter reaching to 20-24 kmph from the southwest direction during the afternoon. It will decrease to less than 18 kmph from the southwest direction during evening and night.

The IMD predicted the same weather conditions for April 20, with a partly cloudy sky and sustained surface winds of a speed of 10-20 kmph. The maximum and minimum temperatures over Delhi are likely to be in the range of 36 to 38°C and 24 to 26°C, respectively.

There is likely to be predominant surface wind from the western direction with a wind speed of 06-08 kmph during morning hours. The wind speed will gradually increase reaching 10-12 kmph from the west in the afternoon. It will increase to less than 14 kmph from the northwest direction during evening and night, said the weather department.

For April 21, the weather department predicted mainly clear skies. However, the maximum and minimum temperatures over Delhi are likely to be in the range of 37 to 39°C and 24 to 26°C, respectively. The predominant surface wind will likely be from the west direction with a wind speed of 08-10 kmph during morning hours.

Furthermore, the wind speed will gradually increase to 12-16 kmph from the west in the afternoon. It will increase to less than 18 kmph from the northwest direction during evening and night, the IMD officials said.