Sat May 17 01:10:00 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a news article summarizing and rewriting the provided text:

**Delhi-NCR Weather Sees Unusual Calm Amidst Lingering Pollution; Light Rainfall Expected This Weekend**

**New Delhi, India** – Delhi-NCR residents are experiencing a stark contrast: unusually mild temperatures for May alongside persistent air pollution. While the region typically swelters under intense heat waves this time of year, cooler temperatures and light rainfall have predominated thus far.

“May is usually a month we associate with scorching heat, but this year, the extreme heat is absent,” stated a local resident. After a pleasant rainfall on Friday evening, Saturday morning brought refreshing winds.

However, the respite from the heat is overshadowed by concerning air quality. For the third consecutive day, a thick haze has enveloped Delhi-NCR, significantly reducing visibility. Data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) reveals an average Air Quality Index (AQI) of 305 in Delhi at 7 AM Friday, placing the air quality in the “very poor” category. As of Saturday morning, the AQI around Kartavya Path and India Gate was recorded at 177. The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has already implemented Stage 1 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in Delhi-NCR to mitigate the effects of the poor air quality.

Looking ahead, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasts a weekend with cloudy skies and the possibility of thunderstorms. Temperatures are expected to hover between 37 and 39 degrees Celsius, remaining normal or even below average for this time of year. There is no forecast for heatwave conditions in the coming week.

“These unusual weather patterns are the reason we’re seeing these lower temperatures in Delhi,” said an IMD spokesperson. The weather department predicts gusty winds of up to 50 kmph, accompanied by rain and thunderstorms, between May 16th and May 22nd.

Friday saw a maximum temperature of 42.3 degrees Celsius, 1.9 degrees above normal, alongside 1.4 mm of rainfall. The 24-hour average AQI stood at 278 on Friday, placing it in the “poor” category, according to the CPCB.

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