Heat returns as temp hits 41.3°C in Delhi, season’s hottest

Delhi recorded its highest maximum temperature of the season on Monday as the influence of a western disturbance faded and surface winds weakened. At the same time, the city’s air quality again dipped to the “poor” category.

The maximum temperature rose to 41.3 degrees Celsius (°C), 3.6 degrees above normal and the highest so far this year. Delhi had previously recorded 41°C on April 8 and April 18. Sunday’s maximum was 39.8°C. The minimum temperature on Monday was 26.2°C, up by 0.2 degrees from Sunday and 3.5 degrees above normal.

“Partly cloudy skies persisted throughout the day, with surface winds ranging between 10 and 20 kmph,” said an India Meteorological Department (IMD) official. “Clear skies are expected on Tuesday, with similar wind conditions,” the official added.

Mahesh Palawat, vice president at Skymet, said temperatures are expected to rise further as dry westerly winds begin affecting the Capital and neighbouring regions. “Wind speed is likely to decrease over the next two days,” he said.

IMD has forecast maximum temperatures to hover between 39°C and 41°C for the next two days, rising to 40-42°C by Thursday. Minimum temperatures are expected to be around 24-26°C on Tuesday.

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Delhi's AQI

Meanwhile, Delhi’s air quality declined to the ‘poor’ category. The 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) was 205 at 4pm on Monday, according to the Central Pollution Control Board’s daily bulletin. In comparison, the AQI was 140 (moderate) on Sunday, 165 (moderate) on Saturday, and 219 (poor) on Friday.

As per CPCB classifications, AQI between 0-50 is considered “good,” 51-100 “satisfactory,” 101-200 “moderate,” 201-300 “poor,” 301-400 “very poor,” and above 400 “severe.”

According to the Air Quality Early Warning System (AQEWS) for Delhi, the AQI is expected to stay in the moderate range for the next two days. “Air quality is likely to remain in the moderate category on Tuesday and Wednesday. The outlook for the following six days indicates levels may fluctuate between moderate and poor,” said the AQEWS bulletin on Monday evening.