Mercury shoots to 35.5 degrees Celsius while haze hangs over city
The Capital witnessed yet another warm day as the mercury touched 35.5 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, 7.1 degrees above normal, while a persistent daytime haze hung over the city, possibly triggered due to westerly winds carrying dust particles from desert regions.
Mahesh Palawat from Skymet Weather said westerly winds have picked up speed, blowing at 20-30 kmph over the city — bringing dust from the deserts of Balochistan and Rajasthan to northwestern India.
“This dust has likely contributed to the recent spike in the AQI and the hazy conditions, as the particles remained suspended in the lower atmosphere after wind speeds drop,” Palawat said.
He also said temperatures this year are expected to remain on the higher side, with hotter summers.
“Around March 14 and 15, there may be some relief from light pre-monsoon showers due to increased humidity in parts of Delhi. Pre-monsoon rains generally begin towards March-end or early April, but the current weather pattern may bring these showers earlier,” Palawat said.
According to data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the maximum temperature at Safdarjung stood at 35.5 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, while the minimum was recorded at 18.8 degrees Celsius, 4.8 degrees above normal. Station-wise data showed the maximum at 34.4 degrees Celsius at Palam Observatory, 35.6 degrees Celsius at Lodhi Road, 35.6 degrees Celsius at Ridge and 35.8 degrees Celsius at Ayanagar.
The minimum temperature was recorded at 18.8 degrees Celsius at Palam and Lodhi Road, 19.6 degrees Celsius at Ridge and 18.4 degrees Celsius at Ayanagar.
The weather office has forecast a partly cloudy sky for Wednesday with the maximum and minimum temperatures likely to settle around 37 degrees Celsius and 18 degrees Celsius, respectively. Meanwhile, the city’s air quality remained in the ‘poor’ category, with the AQI recorded at 265, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi has forecast ‘poor’ air quality for Wednesday, which may improve to the ‘moderate’ category on March 12-13.
