Residents of Delhi are missing the pleasant days of spring as the capital has been gripped by intense heat after a cold winter. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the temperature in Delhi is expected to rise further till March 11.
Safdarjung, the main meteorological station in the national capital on Sunday recorded a maximum temperature of 35.6 degrees Celsius, 7.2 degrees above the seasonal average of 28.4. Meanwhile, the minimum temperature was 2.7 degrees above normal on March 8, settling at 16.7 degrees Celsius.
The Bureau of Meteorology has predicted partly clear skies for Monday. The maximum temperature over Delhi is likely to be in the range of 36 to 38 degrees Celsius, noticeably above normal by 7.6 to 10.4 degrees Celsius. At the same time, minimum temperatures are likely to be in the range of 16 to 18 degrees Celsius, noticeably above normal by 2 to 4 °C. The maximum temperature is expected to rise further and reach 39 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, March 11.
The nation’s capital is recording its hottest March in 50 years
On Saturday, the city recorded its hottest day of the first week of March in the past 50 years, with the daytime temperature reaching 35.7 degrees Celsius. An IMD official said on Sunday, “A gradual increase in maximum temperatures by 3-4 degrees Celsius is expected in the next seven days,” Hindustan Times reported. He further noted that surface winds will range between 15-25 km/h until Thursday.
Since 2011, the second highest temperature of 33.6 degrees Celsius was recorded during the first week of March on March 4, 2016, IMD data shows.
The IMD in its latest weather bulletin said, “Heat wave to severe heat wave is very likely to continue in isolated pockets over Himachal Pradesh on March 8 and 9. Heat wave is likely to prevail in isolated pockets over Vidarbha during March 8 to 12; West Rajasthan and Kutch during March 8 to 10 and North Gujarat on March 10 and North Gujarat on March 19 March 10 and 11.”
Delhi weather forecast for the next five days
The IMD weather projection suggests that day temperatures are likely to remain above normal by 3-5°C over parts of the plains of northwest India during the next 3 days till March 10, while Jammu, Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh are likely to remain above normal by 5-8°C.
In the coming week, the maximum temperature is expected to settle anywhere between 35 and 39 degrees Celsius, while the minimum temperature is expected to be around 15 to 9 degrees Celsius.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data, the air quality in the capital remained in the ‘poor’ category with an air quality index (AQI) of 207 at 9 am.
