Delhi’s temp could cross 30°C, while air quality worsens this week: Experts

Data maintained by the weather department shows that the maximum temperature last crossed 30 degrees Celsius in the first half of February in 2006. However, it was not indicative of the month being the warmest in the last few years

Delhi’s air quality remained in the “very poor” category on Friday morning. Data from Central Pollution Control Board showed that the hourly air quality index (AQI) at 7am stood at 330. On Thursday, the average 24-hour AQI had been 330.

Representational image. (Raj K Raj/HT PHOTO)

An AQI between zero and 50 is considered "good", 51 and 100 "satisfactory", 101 and 200 "moderate", 201 and 300 "poor", 301 and 400 "very poor", and 401 and 500 "severe".

Union ministry of earth science’s air quality monitoring centre, System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (Safar), forecast said the AQI is likely to marginally deteriorate again in the coming days.

“Surface winds are low and winds are likely to marginally improve during day time. The ventilation is likely to stay in the same range. AQI is likely to stay in the Very Poor category for the next two days. Lower end of Very Poor to Poor category is forecasted for February 15,” Safar said on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Delhi woke up to a foggy Friday morning as forecast by the India Meteorological Department. The minimum temperature is likely to be at 10 degrees Celsius while maximum temperature is predicted to be at 27 degrees Celsius -- a notch higher than Thursday.

The minimum temperature on Thursday was 9.6 degrees Celsius which was a degree lower than normal and maximum temperature was three degrees above normal at 26.1 degrees Celsius.

According to IMD data ,the maximum temperature recorded on Wednesday at the Safdarjung weather station, considered to be the official marker of the city, was 30.4 degrees Celsius, seven degrees above the season’s normal.

IMD added that the maximum temperature is expected to cross the 30 degrees Celsius-mark again between February 13 and February 21.

Data maintained by the weather department shows that the maximum temperature last crossed 30 degrees Celsius in the first half of February in 2006. However, it was not indicative of the month being the warmest in the last few years.

“The exact picture of whether this could feature in the list of warmest February months will have to be seen once we take the MMTs (mean maximum/minimum temperatures) into account,” said Kuldeep Srivastava, head of IMD’s regional weather forecasting centre.