Delhi may experience a very warm Holi: IMD

“The mercury levels will rise till March 29. It is likely to be one of the warmest Holi that the city has ever seen,” said Kuldeep Srivastava, head of IMD’s regional weather forecasting centre.

The maximum temperature in the city shot up to 35.3 degrees Celsius on Saturday — three notches above normal — with scientists at the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicting that the mercury levels may shoot up to 38 degrees Celsius mark by Monday.

Scientists said while temperatures will rise in the coming days because of clearer skies in the entire northwest region, there will be a slight respite from March 30. (Unsplash)

“The mercury levels will rise till March 29. It is likely to be one of the warmest Holi that the city has ever seen,” said Kuldeep Srivastava, head of IMD’s regional weather forecasting centre.

On Saturday, the minimum temperature recorded at Safdarjung observatory, which is considered the official weather marker for the city, was 16.4 degrees Celsius-- two notches below what is considered normal for this time of the year.

Scientists said while temperatures will rise in the coming days because of clearer skies in the entire northwest region, there will be a slight respite from March 30.

“There is a forecast of strong winds on March 30 and 31. This will help bring down the temperature again. From Tuesday, the maximum temperature is expected to be around 31-32 degrees Celsius,” said Srivastava.

The strong winds are also expected to keep the air-quality under control. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) recordings show that while the overall air quality index (AQI) of Delhi deteriorated marginally, it continued to remain in the ‘moderate’ zone. On Saturday, the overall AQI was 199, as against Friday’s 150.

The IMD forecast said the city’s air quality will improve again from Tuesday once the wind speeds pick up and ventilation improves in the city. After a brief deterioration on Sunday and Monday, the AQI is expected to come back to the ‘moderate’ category by Wednesday, said scientists.