After a brief spell of rain brought some relief earlier this week, Delhi is once again heading towards hotter days. The Capital recorded a sunny Saturday with the maximum temperature settling at 34.7C, about 1.4 degrees below normal. However, the cooling trend appears short-lived.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), temperatures have been rising gradually over the past few days and are expected to continue on the same path. The maximum temperature, which dipped to a decade-low of 28.2C on April 8, has since climbed to 30.8C on Thursday and 32.8C on Friday.
The IMD has forecast that the maximum temperature could touch 40C by Wednesday and may reach 41C by Friday. It also noted that the current below-normal temperatures will return to normal levels within the next two days and rise above normal thereafter.
Also Read | Delhi plans to stop new petrol two-wheeler registrations by 2028 under the draft EV policy
Minimum temperature also to increase
The minimum temperature on Saturday was recorded at 18.6C, below the normal of 21C. This, too, is expected to rise steadily. The IMD said nighttime temperatures may increase by 1-2C daily, reaching between 23C and 25C by Thursday.
Dry conditions driving the heat
Weather experts attribute the rising temperatures to a lack of weather activity. Skymet Weather’s Mahesh Palawat said dry winds and continuous sunshine, along with the absence of cloud cover and rainfall, are contributing factors. He added that heatwave-like conditions may develop if temperatures cross 40C and remain significantly above normal.
Also Read | PM steps out of car for conversation with Rahul Gandhi, moment goes viral | WATCH
Meteorologist Navdeep Dahiya also indicated that several regions could see temperatures between 42C and 45C in the coming days, with Delhi likely to record its first 40C of the season by mid-April.
Delhi’s air quality showed slight improvement, with the AQI recorded at 123 in the “moderate” category on Saturday, down from 151 a day earlier. The outlook for the next few days suggests AQI levels may fluctuate between moderate and poor.
For Sunday, the IMD has forecast clear skies with surface winds reaching 15-25 kmph, occasionally gusting up to 35 kmph during the day.
