New Delhi: The month of Oct this year was the warmest for the city in 73 years, India Meteorological Department (IMD) has stated.
The Met department mentioned the lack of western disturbances, leading to no rainfall in Oct, as the reason that both average monthly maximum and minimum temperatures were the highest since 1951. According to IMD, the average for both maximum and minimum temperatures stood at 35.1 and 21.2 degrees Celsius, respectively, while in 1951, they were 36.2 and 22.3 degrees Celsius.
TOI earlier reported how Oct 2024 also saw the worst air quality index (AQI) since 2020. Experts attributed the lack of rain as the reason behind the high pollution levels too. According to the data from Central Pollution Control Board, the city's average AQI of 231 this Oct was its highest since 2020, when it was 265. It was 219 last Oct, 210 in 2022, and 173 in 2021. In 2019, it was 234; 269 in 2018; 285 in 2017; 271 in 2016; and 264 in 2015. An AQI between 201 and 300 is considered ‘poor'.
On Friday, the maximum temperature was 33.6 degrees Celsius, three degrees above normal, against 34.1 degrees Celsius a day earlier. At 18.4 degrees Celsius, the minimum was two degrees above normal. On Thursday, it was 21.1 degrees Celsius, five notches above normal.
On last year's Diwali day on Nov 12, the maximum temperature was 27.5 degrees Celsius and the minimum 12.4. A day after Diwali, the maximum was at 27.3 degrees Celsius and the minimum at 11.8.
The maximum and minimum temperatures on Saturday are expected to hover around 34 and 19 degrees Celsius, respectively. Weather analysts expect both to drop when westerly winds pick up speed, bringing in cold air.