Heatwave conditions remain in the forecast for Delhi on Monday, with a maximum temperature of around 41 degrees Celsius. The maximum temperature recorded on Sunday at the Safdarjung weather observatory was 41.8 degrees Celsius, six degrees above the normal for this time of the year. The minimum temperature over the past 24 hours stood at 22.5 degrees, two degrees above the normal. Other weather stations in Delhi-NCR, including those at the Ridge, Aya Nagar, Gurgaon, Najafgarh and Pitampura recorded maximum temperatures of 43 degrees Celsius or slightly higher on Sunday. At Gurgaon, the maximum temperature was 43.8 degrees Celsius, while it was 43.6 degrees at Aya Nagar. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted that the intensity of heatwaves across the plains of northwest India could reduce from the night of April 12 on account of a western disturbance that is likely to affect parts of the western Himalayan region. Consequently, maximum temperatures are very likely to fall by two to three degrees over many parts of northwest India from April 12, the IMD forecast indicates. The forecast for Delhi shows that the maximum temperature could drop marginally to 39 degrees on April 13 and 14, before climbing back up to about 41 degrees by April 17. The minimum temperature over the next six days is likely to range from 21 to 23 degrees Celsius. Heatwave conditions remain on the forecast for Tuesday, and clear skies are likely for the rest of the week. On Sunday, heatwave conditions were recorded in parts of Delhi, Chandigarh, Haryana Punjab, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. Meanwhile, the air quality index (AQI) in Delhi was 244, in the ‘poor’ category on Sunday. Dust and PM10 are the main pollutants. The air quality is likely to remain in the ‘poor’ category on Monday and Tuesday, according to the air quality early warning system.
