Delhi sees season’s hottest day with mercury at 35°C

Base weather station Safdarjung recorded a maximum of 34.8°C — six degrees above normal for this time of the year.

Tuesday was Delhi’s hottest day of the season as the maximum temperature rose beyond normal and crossed 35°C in isolated pockets of the city, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

The highest temperature on Tuesday was recorded in Pitampura, west Delhi, at 35.3°C. (Sanjeev Verma/ Hindustan Times)

Base weather station Safdarjung recorded a maximum of 34.8°C — six degrees above normal for this time of the year. The previous highest temperature this season was 32.8°C on Sunday. The highest temperature on Tuesday was recorded in Pitampura, west Delhi, at 35.3°C.

IMD has forecast that the mercury will remain above normal for the next few days, even with chances of drizzle on Thursday night and during the day on Friday and Saturday. The maximum is forecast to be between 33-35°C till Friday, which is likely to fall to 30-32°C on Saturday, officials said.

RK Jenamani, scientist at IMD, attributed the current weather to dry winds blowing from Rajasthan towards Delhi. “However, an approaching western disturbance from Thursday onwards is expected to bring some marginal relief,” he said.

Meanwhile, the minimum temperature also rose to 15.7°C — two degrees above normal and marginally higher than Monday’s 15.2°C. Nights are set to get warmer, with the minimum likely hovering between 17-19°C on Wednesday, IMD said.

The air quality also deteriorated in the past 24 hours. The air quality index (AQI) was recorded at 262 (poor) at 4pm on Tuesday. It was 197 (moderate) a day earlier. Forecasts by the Centre’s Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi said a return to “moderate” air quality is likely from Wednesday till Friday.