Double trouble: No respite for Delhi as it reels under heat and poor air

NEW DELHI: The MeT department has predicted that the temperature will continue to rise in the coming days after recording the hottest day of the season so far on Thursday when mercury crossed 42 degrees Celsius. Delhi continues to sizzle with heatwave conditions recorded in parts of the capital. The mercury clocked 41.9 degrees Celsius on Friday, three notches above normal.
The minimum temperature on Friday was 24.2 degrees Celsius, which is normal for this time of the year.
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According to Met department, there is a heatwave across NCR and the temperature is unlikely to come down in the coming days and might reach 44 degrees Celsius by April 30.
On Saturday, mainly clear skies are expected. “Strong surface winds will be there during the day. The maximum and minimum temperatures will be around 42 and 24 degrees Celsius respectively,” a Met official said.
The increase in temperature, however, did not impact Delhi’s air quality, which was classified in the ‘poor’ category with an overall Air Quality Index of 215 on Friday. SAFAR, a body under the ministry of earth sciences, forecasts an improvement in air quality in the next three days with wind speeds picking up.
“The air quality is predicted to improve slightly and in the higher end of moderate to moderate category for the next three days. Ozone pollution needs attention during soaring summer, which can deteriorate under higher solar flux and increasing temperatures,” said SAFAR.