Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 24.2 degrees Celsius on Friday, 0.3 degrees above normal, with no rainfall recorded during the past 24 hours.

A change in weather is expected over the weekend. According to the IMD, on Saturday, generally cloudy skies are forecast, with very light to light rain at many places and moderate rain at isolated places towards the afternoon or evening. Thunderstorms, lightning and strong winds of 30-40 kmph, gusting to 50 kmph, are also likely. The maximum temperature is expected to fall to 32-34 degrees Celsius.

Rainfall activity is expected to intensify further on Sunday, when light to moderate rain is forecast at most places in Delhi. One or two spells of very light to light rain, with moderate rain at a few places, are likely during the morning to forenoon, followed by another spell during the afternoon or evening. The maximum temperature could fall further to 30-32 degrees Celsius. Rainfall is expected to ease from Monday, with no rain forecast on September 29 and 30.

Heavy rain forecast across several states

While Delhi is likely to remain dry on Friday, heavy to very heavy rainfall is forecast over parts of central and eastern India.

Heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely at isolated places over Chhattisgarh, east Madhya Pradesh, east Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim and Vidarbha on Friday. Heavy rainfall is also likely at isolated places over Assam and Meghalaya, Bihar, coastal Andhra Pradesh and Yanam, Gangetic West Bengal, Jharkhand, Kerala and Mahe, Telangana, Uttarakhand, west Madhya Pradesh and west Uttar Pradesh.

In northwest India, fairly widespread to widespread rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning is likely over west Uttar Pradesh on Friday, while isolated to scattered rainfall is expected over the remaining parts of the region. Isolated heavy rainfall is likely over Uttarakhand and west Uttar Pradesh on Friday, while east Uttar Pradesh could see isolated very heavy rainfall. Strong surface winds are also likely over Uttar Pradesh through September 27.

In central India, fairly widespread to widespread rain accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning is likely over east Madhya Pradesh and Vidarbha through September 27 and Chhattisgarh through September 28. Isolated very heavy rainfall is likely over east Madhya Pradesh on Friday, while Chhattisgarh could see thundersqualls with winds reaching 50-60 kmph and gusting to 70 kmph.

Eastern India is also likely to remain wet. Fairly widespread to widespread rainfall is forecast over Bihar, Gangetic West Bengal, Jharkhand, Odisha and Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim through Friday. Isolated heavy rainfall is likely over Gangetic West Bengal and Jharkhand on Friday, while very heavy rain is possible over Odisha. 

In the northeast, fairly widespread to widespread rainfall is likely over Assam and Meghalaya through September 28, while Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura are expected to see widespread rain on September 27.