Delhi and NCR may see light rain Monday and Tuesday due to a western disturbance, with cloud seeding planned for Wednesday despite low moisture levels.
Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) are likely to see scattered light rain on Monday and Tuesday due to an approaching western disturbance, as per the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
While no rain is expected for Wednesday - the day the Delhi government plans to attempt cloud seeding in northwest Delhi - the city is still likely to see cloudy skies, officials said.
IMD said the western disturbance will bring moist easterly winds back and will also increase the nighttime temperature by two to three notches by Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 15.8 degrees Celsius (°C) on Sunday - the lowest so far this season. This was also the lowest minimum for Delhi in two years for the month of October, after October 28, 2023 recorded 14.3°C, data showed.
The maximum temperature, meanwhile, stood at 32°C, which was around normal for this time of the year. It is expected to dip by 2-3°C by Tuesday, due to possible rain and overcast skies.
"This is a feeble western disturbance, so while not much activity is expected, NCR may see some scattered drizzle to light rain. Between Monday and Wednesday, we are expected to see overcast skies in several areas, which will mean an increase in minimum temperature," Krishna Mishra, IMD's senior scientist said.
Prior to this, Delhi was witnessing clear skies and cold northwesterly winds, leading to cooler nights. The minimum was 16.9°C on Saturday and 17°C on Friday. Forecasts show this is likely to be between 17-19°C on Monday and between 18-20°C on Tuesday.
Mahesh Palawat, vice president at Skymet said the western disturbance should be feeble, meaning most places will only see cloudiness. "There are only chances of scattered drizzle at isolated places. We should see cloudiness till Wednesday, but the nature of clouds -- low or high -- will determine how feasible and successful cloud seeding is," he said.
Chief minister Rekha Gupta on Thursday announced that the Capital was ready to carry out cloud seeding on October 29, after a test run was held over Burari on the same day. Officials said a flight -- which flew to Delhi from Kanpur via Meerut, Khekra, Burari, Sadakpur, Bhojpur, Aligarh, and back to IIT Kanpur -- aimed to test the capabilities of the aircraft for cloud seeding and assess preparedness, ahead of a full-fledged attempt.
While silver iodide and sodium chloride compounds, used to induce artificial rains, were also released from the aircraft, there was limited moisture in the air -- less than 20% -- with seeding often requiring moisture up to 50%, meaning no rain occurred in the area.
The government, relying on IMD forecasts, had said more moisture will be available during this western disturbance spell. A government official said there was no change in the plans so far. "So far, the deadline remains October 29," an official said.