The national capital is likely to experience relief from the scorching heat and humidity as light rain and thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and winds of up to 50kmph are expected through Friday, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The Met department has issued an ‘orange’ alert for the day, forecasting multiple spells of light rain and gusty winds across the city.Intense showers lashed parts of Delhi around 6.45pm on Thursday. (ANI)The maximum temperature in Delhi on Friday is expected to remain around 36°C, while the minimum temperature is likely to settle near 24°C, the IMD said.On Thursday, the city recorded an average maximum temperature of 41.1°C, while the ‘feel-like temperature’, or heat index, touched a season-high of 48.2°C, according to IMD. The minimum temperature was recorded at 28.4°C, two degrees above normal. High humidity levels added to the discomfort and made outdoor conditions difficult through the day.However, the weather changed dramatically in the evening after intense showers accompanied by winds of up to 50kmph lashed parts of the city around 6.45pm. The sweltering conditions gave way to a cooler evening as temperatures dropped by 6–10°C by 7pm.According to IMD data, Delhi’s Safdarjung station recorded 4 mm rainfall till 8.30am on Friday, while Palam logged 4.3mm during the same period. Ayanagar recorded 3.8mm rainfall till Friday morning.The Met department has also issued a ‘yellow’ alert for Saturday and forecast light rain and thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds of up to 50kmph. Continued rainfall and strong winds are expected to bring Saturday’s temperatures down further, with the maximum likely to remain around 35°C and the minimum around 23°C.Light rain is also likely on Sunday, allowing the month to end on a relatively cooler note, officials said.Delhi’s air quality also improved on Friday morning and remained in the ‘moderate’ category. Data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) showed that the hourly Air Quality Index (AQI) at 8 am stood at 144. On Thursday, the average 24-hour AQI was recorded at 207, placing it in the lower end of the ‘poor’ category, with PM10 identified as the prominent pollutant.An AQI between zero and 50 is considered “good”, 51 and 100 “satisfactory”, 101 and 200 “moderate”, 201 and 300 “poor”, 301 and 400 “very poor”, and 401 and 500 “severe”.