Delhi Experiences Sharp Temperature Rise as Sunshine Returns
Clear skies and bright sunshine pushed Delhi's daytime temperature significantly higher on Thursday, marking a swift rebound from the previous day's scattered light showers that had briefly cooled the city. The maximum temperature climbed to 28 degrees Celsius, which is four degrees above the normal seasonal average. This contrasts sharply with Wednesday's maximum of 21.1 degrees Celsius, when cloud cover maintained relatively mild conditions.
IMD Explains Weather Patterns and Forecasts Warmer Days
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) attributed the brief spell of drizzle to a western disturbance that had a limited impact on the region. An IMD official elaborated, stating, "The western disturbance only brought patchy drizzle in isolated parts of the city. The maximum temperature was low on Wednesday due to cloudy conditions, but with the disturbance's impact already over, Thursday saw sunshine return. Winds remained around 5 km/hr, allowing temperatures to rebound quickly." The official further forecast that temperatures are expected to remain above normal, indicating a warmer conclusion to February.
Early Summer-Like Readings and Upward Trend
Earlier this week, Delhi already witnessed summer-like temperature readings, with the maximum touching 31.6 degrees Celsius on Monday and 30.9 degrees Celsius on Tuesday. Notably, this represents the earliest instance of temperatures crossing the 30-degree Celsius mark in February over the past five years. The IMD anticipates this upward trend to persist, predicting that the mercury could reach 31 degrees Celsius by Sunday.
Minimum Temperatures and Air Quality Fluctuations
Minimum temperatures are also projected to increase in the coming days. Thursday's low was recorded at 11.4 degrees Celsius, which is close to the seasonal average. However, nighttime readings are expected to rise to around 14 degrees Celsius by the weekend. Regarding air quality, there was a marginal improvement in the morning hours, but it deteriorated by evening as wind speeds remained weak. The city's 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI), measured on a scale from 0 to 500, stood at 208 at 4 pm on Thursday. This was slightly lower than the 214 recorded at the same time on Wednesday, with both readings falling into the 'poor' category.
Air Quality Forecast for the Weekend
Forecasts from the Centre's Air Quality Early Warning System (EWS) suggest that conditions may see a brief improvement over the weekend. In its daily bulletin, the EWS stated, "Delhi's air quality is likely to be in the 'poor' category on Friday. It is expected to improve to the 'moderate' category on Saturday, but may revert to 'poor' on Sunday." The system further indicated that the AQI is likely to continue oscillating between 'poor' and 'moderate' levels throughout the upcoming week as well.
