Five weather stations log temperatures above 45°C

Mungeshpur, at 47°C, was the hottest area in the national capital on Saturday.

Delhi’s maximum temperature rose marginally on Saturday with heatwave conditions returning to some parts of the city with at least five weather stations recording maximum temperature in excess of 45 degrees, shows India Meteorological Department (IMD) data.

According to IMD’s weekly forecast, the maximum temperature is expected to hover around 43 degrees Celsius on Sunday. (Representative Image)

The Safdarjung observatory, Delhi’s base station, recorded a maximum of 43.9 degrees Celsius on Saturday, nearly a degree above the previous day’s reading of 42.9 degrees Celsius and three degrees above the normal temperature for this time of the year. The minimum temperature was recorded at 28.7 degrees Celsius, one degree above normal.

According to IMD’s weekly forecast, the maximum temperature is expected to hover around 43 degrees Celsius on Sunday. Strong surface winds are also expected to prevail on Sunday, the forecast said. IMD officials have also predicted heatwave conditions in isolated places over Delhi on Sunday.

A heatwave is declared when the maximum temperature is over 40°C and 4.5 degrees above normal, and a severe heatwave is announced when the temperature is above 40°C and 6.5 degrees above normal.

On Saturday, the temperature rose above 45°C at five weather stations in the Capital, with the highest -- 47.1°C -- recorded at Mungeshpur. Heatwave readings were also recorded at Pitampura (46.5°C), Jafarpur (45.7°C), Ridge (45.5°C), and Najafgarh stations (46.2°C).

IMD scientist RK Jenamani said that heatwave conditions were expected for the next two days. “Heatwave conditions at isolated places are expected to continue for the two days. Strong surface winds with speed 20-30km/hr are expected on Sunday,” said Jenamani.

Meanwhile, the air quality on Saturday improved marginally but stayed in the “poor” category with a reading of 227. On Friday, the AQI reading stood at 240 in the “poor” category. 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’.

The air quality is expected to improve in the next few days on account of the increase in wind speed. On Saturday, the Union ministry of earth science’s air quality monitoring centre, System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (Safar), said that the AQI is likely to stay in the moderate category or lower end of poor category on account of dispersion of pollutants aided by strong winds. “For the next 3 days (5th, 6th,7th) peak wind speed is likely to be ~ 18-30 km/h causing moderate dispersion and AQI is likely to be within ‘moderate’ or ‘lower end of poor’. High temperature (~ 40ºC) and mixing layer height (~ 3 km) maintains strong ventilation by convection improving air quality,” stated the forecast.