Rain in Delhi brings down heat, pollution slightly, temp to increase from Friday

The forecast says that around Holi, which is on Monday, the maximum temperature is likely to touch around 37-38 degrees Celsius

Delhi’s air quality on Wednesday improved marginally on Wednesday, with the hourly average air quality index (AQI) at 7am recording 202, in the poor category.

Dense clouds on an overcast day at Connaught Place in New Delhi on Tuesday. (Amal KS/HT PHOTO)

Central Pollution Control Board data shows that on Tuesday the overall AQI of Delhi was 244, also in the poor category.

Some parts of Delhi on Tuesday experienced rain and gusty winds, which brought down the maximum temperature slightly.

Kuldeep Srivastava, head of IMD’s regional weather forecasting centre, said that from Friday, the temperature is likely to rise again. The forecast says that around Holi, which is on Monday, the maximum temperature is likely to touch around 37-38 degrees Celsius.

On Tuesday, the maximum temperature recorded at the Safdarjung weather station, which is considered the official marker for the city, was 29.6 degrees Celsius—a notch below the season’s normal.

The minimum temperature, however, was the highest recording for the season. The minimum temperature on Tuesday was 21.5 degrees Celsius, four degrees above what is considered normal for this time of the month.

IMD recordings show that this month, barring Tuesday’s temperature drop, the maximum temperature has been 2-3 degrees higher than normal. Scientists said they are expecting the recordings to be a few degrees warmer than usual.

“We are expecting this month’s mean maximum temperature recordings to be a few degrees above normal,” said Srivastava.

The mean maximum temperature for March is 29.6 degrees Celsius.