Maximum and minimum temperatures have remained above normal in the national capital, along with other parts of northwest India over the past few days. (File Photo) Delhi is likely to see clear skies and a maximum temperature of 38 degrees Celsius on Saturday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast indicates. The minimum temperature recorded early on Saturday was 17.4 degrees Celsius, a degree below normal, and a few degrees lower than the 21.4 degrees recorded on Friday.
The respite that the NCR has received from the recent heatwave conditions is, however, likely to be short-lived. The IMD has predicted a rise in maximum temperature by two to three degrees Celsius over northwest India during the next four to five days, and the temperature could increase to 41 degrees Celsius on April 5.
The normal maximum temperature from April 2 to 5 is 33.5 degrees Celsius. The temperature at 8.30 am on Saturday was 22.8 degrees Celsius, and the relative humidity at the same time was 51%.
Heatwave conditions were recorded in parts of the city on March 29, 30, and 31, while the lack of rainfall in the month of March kept the average maximum temperature high at 32.9 degrees Celsius, 3.3 degrees above the normal average for the month. Against a normal amount of 14.9 mm of rainfall from March 1 to April 1, the city recorded no rain.
This is in keeping with the deficit rainfall in other parts of northwest India and the country. Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Chandigarh, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh and Rajasthan have all recorded a deficit for the same time period.
Heatwave conditions remain in the forecast for parts of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh over the next five days.
The air quality index (AQI) in Delhi on Friday was 218, in the ‘poor’ category, with PM2.5, PM10, and nitrogen dioxide as the main pollutants. The air quality is likely to remain in the ‘poor’ to ‘moderate’ category on Saturday, going by a forecast issued by the Air Quality Early Warning System. The AQI has remained in the ‘poor’ category since March 28, with PM10 and dust being the major pollutants.
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