Delhi crossed 35°C on March 7, earliest temperature surge in at least 15 years

At 35.7°C, Saturday’s maximum was 7.3°C higher than normal and the soonest the daytime heat has passed the 35°C mark since at least 2011.

The temperature in Delhi soared past 35°C on Saturday, the earliest it has crossed this threshold in at least 15 years, data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) showed, as Delhi checked off another grim touchpoint in an unusually hot March.

People seen out during hot day at Central Park in Connaught Place in New Delhi, as temperature crosses its high point, earliest since 2011. (Raj K Raj/HT Photo)

At 35.7°C, Saturday’s maximum was 7.3°C higher than normal and the soonest the daytime heat has passed the 35°C mark since at least 2011. IMD did not release monthly temperature data before 2011. The minimum temperature was 17.4°C, 3.4°C above normal.

Before this year, the earliest the maximum temperature had crossed the threshold was in 2021, when it reached 35.2°C on March 11. In 2025, the temperature crossed the threshold on March 14 (36.2°C), and the year before that, only on March 27 (37°C).

Experts blamed the unusually hot March on scant snow and rain in the mountains, warm winds, and the broader climate crisis, which has disrupted weather patterns. Temperatures in Delhi have been above normal for all seven days of the month so far, just as it has been across large swathes of northern India.

Scientists also warned that the city’s temperatures would creep up till at least Wednesday before plateauing for a few days.

“There has been no snowfall this year in the western Himalayas since the end of January, and there was barely any winter rain over the northern plains,” said Mahesh Palawat, vice president at Skymet, a private weather forecaster.

“Additionally, the western disturbances approaching the Himalayas are feeble and not able to bring any snowfall or rain,” he said.

Palawat added that dry north-westerly winds blowing across Delhi, coupled with slow surface winds, kept the temperature high over the past two days.

“Strong winds were keeping the temperature down earlier, but now we expect a further marginal increase in the coming days,” Palawat added.

The Centre’s Early Warning System also predicted slower winds could push the maximum to 36°C on Sunday and 37°C by Wednesday. This could then dip to between 34°C and 36°C.

IMD officials predicted snow and rain over the hills from March 9, which may cut temperatures.

“A dry spell is ongoing, which is why the temperature is rising ... Over the next couple of days, temperatures may rise by one or two degrees, but from March 9, there may be a dip in temperatures due to rain and snowfall over the hills,” said senior IMD scientist RK Jenamani.

Temperatures are likely to remain above normal by 8–12°C over Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh, and by 6–8°C over the remaining parts of the plains of northwest India over the next two days until March 9, IMD said. Temperatures are expected to decrease by 5–7°C next week, with fresh western disturbances expected to bring scattered light rainfall or snowfall over the western Himalayan region from March 9 to 11.

Delhi’s maximum temperature has climbed steadily this month, from 30.7°C on March 1 (4.6°C above normal), to 30.9°C on March 2, 31.5°C on March 3, 33.2°C on March 4, 34.3°C on March 5 and 34.4°C on March 6.

According to IMD records, Delhi’s hottest March day was in 1945, when the temperature hit 40.6°C on March 31.

In the past 15 years, the month’s highest was 40.1°C on March 30, 2021.

Last year, the hottest March day was 38.9°C on March 26.

(With inputs from Jayashree Nandi)