Heavy rain lashed the national capital early on Thursday with the minimum temperature in the city settling at 11 degrees Celsius, three notches above the normal, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

Despite rainfall, Delhi's air quality was recorded in the ''very poor'' category as the Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 324 at 8.05 am.

The weather office has predicted a generally cloudy sky with light to moderate rain and thunderstorms accompanied by gusty winds at a speed of speed 30-40 kmph.

According to IMD, thunderstorms with light to moderate intensity rain and wind speed of 20-30 kmph is likely to occur over and in the adjoining areas of Delhi and the National Capital Region (Hindon Air Force Station, Loni Dehat, Ghaziabad, Noida, Greater Noida, Indrapuram, Gurugram) during the next two hours.

The Safdarjung Observatory, which is considered as the official reading for the city, said the national capital has received 0.6 mm rainfall in the last 24 hours as recorded at 8.30 am.

The relative humidity at 8.30 am was 93 per cent and the maximum temperature is expected to be around 19 degrees Celsius.

On wednesday, Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 23.4 degrees Celsius, a notch above normal, IMD said. The city witnessed moderate fog on Wednesday morning with the minimum recorded temperature of 11.2 degrees Celsius, three notches above the season's average, it said.

Delhi's air quality was recorded in the ''very poor'' category as Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 324 at 8.05 am. The air quality in Ghaziabad (339), Faridabad (330), Gurugram (309), Greater Noida (306) and Noida (302), too, was ''very poor''.

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''.