Maximum temperature recorded Tuesday was 34.7 degrees Celsius and minimum was 18.9 degrees Celsius. (Praveen Khanna) The temperature in Delhi has been climbing upwards steadily, with the maximum temperature reaching 34.7 degrees Celsius Tuesday, the highest so far this year.
The temperature has remained above normal for the past two days. The maximum temperature recorded Tuesday was five degrees above the normal for this time of the year. On Monday, the maximum temperature was 33 degrees Celsius, four degrees above the normal for the Safdarjung weather observatory, which provides a representative marker for the city. At the Lodhi Road weather station, the maximum temperature was even higher at 35.4 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, six degrees above the normal average.
The minimum temperature has also been settling at a few notches above normal. Early on Tuesday, the minimum temperature was 18.9 degrees Celsius, three degrees above normal.
The city is set to get warmer over the next few days. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted a rise in maximum temperatures by two to three degrees over the next two days in many parts of northwest India. The maximum temperature in Delhi is likely to rise to 36 degrees on March 20, and further to 37 degrees on March 21, the IMD forecast indicates. The minimum temperature, which is recorded at night, is also set to increase to around 20 degrees Celsius on Wednesday.
The highest maximum temperature recorded in March last year was 40.1 degrees Celsius, while it was 33.3 degrees in March 2020, and 39.2 degrees in March 2019.
So far this month, the city has not recorded any rainfall. Last year, Delhi saw two days of rainfall by March 15, while around seven days of rainfall were recorded by March 15 in 2019. The lack of rainfall this month is in contrast to the excess rainfall of around 65% above the normal received in February. The western disturbances that caused rainfall last month had kept the maximum temperatures below 30 degrees Celsius.
R K Jenamani, senior scientist, IMD, said the temperatures above normal can be attributed to dry westerly winds, and absence of rainfall for nearly 20 days in Delhi and Haryana. Besides, places in Rajasthan have been recording temperatures of around 40 degrees Celsius, he said. No western disturbance is on the cards for this week.
Heat waves have been on the forecast for western Rajasthan from Tuesday to Thursday. Severe heat wave conditions were observed in parts of western Rajasthan on Tuesday.
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