Delhi to feel the heat as temp expected to rise this week

Delhi enjoyed a sunny Sunday at 34.7°C, but temperatures are set to rise to 40°C by April 15, with air quality worsening to "moderate."

New Delhi: Delhi experienced a bright and sunny Sunday, with gusty afternoon winds providing relief and keeping the maximum temperature at 34.7°C — one degree below normal.

Visitors at Red Fort on Sunday afternoon (Vipin Kumar/ HT)

However, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast a sharp temperature rise over the next few days, with the maximum likely to touch 40°C by April 15 and climb further to around 41°C by April 17.

The IMD states that day temperatures are likely to range between 36-38°C on Monday.

“As no active western disturbance is expected to impact Delhi, days are likely to become warmer. A gradual rise in maximum temperatures by 4-5°C is expected over the next seven days. The maximum temperatures are likely to be normal during the next two days and above normal after that,” said a Met official.

So far this season, the highest maximum was 36.8°C, recorded on April 2 and March 11. The latter half of March remained relatively mild, aided by successive western disturbances that brought light rain and overcast conditions.

This stands in contrast to last year, when Delhi recorded an intense heatwave spell between April 7 and 9, with temperatures crossing 40°C.

At Palam, gusts touching 37 km/hr were recorded from 4.30pm for nearly three hours, the IMD stated. “Similar daytime winds, with speeds up to 30 km/hr, are expected to prevail on Monday,” said another Met official.

The minimum temperature on Sunday was recorded at 20.2°C, also a degree below normal. It is expected to hover between 19-21°C on Monday, before rising steadily to around 25°C by April 16.

Meanwhile, Delhi’s air quality worsened to “moderate” category, with an average AQI of 163 on Sunday, up from 123 on Saturday. The Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi predicts the air quality will likely remain “moderate” until April 15, before fluctuating between “moderate” and “poor” over the following six days.