30°C in sight for Delhi: Spring not far behind

The Capital on Sunday recorded a maximum temperature of 24.6°C, which is around the normal mark.

Temperatures in Delhi are set to spike by the end of the week and edge closer to the 30-degree Celsius mark in parts of the Capital, signalling the arrival of spring, officials of the Met department said on Sunday.

At India Gate on Sunday evening.  (Arvind Yadav/HT photo)

The Capital on Sunday recorded a maximum temperature of 24.6°C, which is around the normal mark. However, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast that the maximum temperature may touch 28°C by Thursday and 29°C or 30°C by Saturday.

A western disturbance is also expected to influence the northern plains in the next two or three days, but is unlikely to significantly impact Delhi, the weather office said, with rain largely likely to elude the Capital. The city will only possibly see cloudy skies and surface winds of 20-30 kmph on Tuesday.

“Till the end of February, only weak western disturbances are expected in the region. Temperatures are now expected to rise and by the end of this week and by the end of the month, it will touch the 30-degree mark,” said RK Jenamani, scientist at IMD, adding that night-time temperature will remain around between 11 and 12°C.

Delhi’s warmest spot during the day on Sunday was the Sports Complex station in east Delhi, recording a high of 26.3°C. In terms of the minimum temperature, Delhi recorded a low of 11.7°C, a notch above normal. .

The weather office’s forecast for Monday shows that Delhi is likely to record a maximum of 26°C, while the minimum will hover around the 10°C-mark.

Navdeep Dahiya, an amateur weatherman who runs ‘Live Weather of India’, said that warm south and south-westerly winds will begin to blow from February 22 and 23, leading to a spike in the daytime temperature.

“Temperatures in Delhi and Haryana may cross the 30-degree mark for the first time, while it could cross 35°C in parts of Rajasthan,” he said.

Meanwhile, Delhi’s air quality index (AQI) was in the ‘moderate’ range with a reading of 173 according to the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) daily 4pm bulletin on Sunday. It was 180 (moderate) on Saturday. Agencies forecast AQI to hover in the ‘moderate’ range in the next few days as well.