Delhi weather today: Heatwave to persist, strong winds likely

The air quality in Delhi was in the ‘poor’ category on Sunday with an AQI of 245, and it is likely to remain the same on Monday, according to a forecast issued by the air quality early warning system on Sunday.

While the Safdarjung weather observatory, which provides a marker for the city, has not yet recorded maximum temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius this season, other weather stations in the Delhi-NCR (national capital region) witnessed heatwave conditions from March 29 to 31.

On Sunday, the Safdarjung weather station recorded a maximum temperature of 39.4 degrees Celsius, six degrees above the normal. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) records a heatwave in the plains when the maximum temperature is 40 degrees Celsius or more, and 4.5 to 6.4 degrees above the normal.

On Sunday, the maximum temperature was at or above 40 degrees Celsius at some weather observatories including the ones at Palam (40.2 degrees), the Ridge (41.4 degrees), Najafgarh (41.7 degrees), and Gurgaon (42.3 degrees).

The maximum temperature at Safdarjung could go up to 40 degrees by April 6, and increase further to 41 degrees by April 8, the forecast indicates. The temperature at 5.30 am on Monday was 20 degrees Celsius, while the relative humidity was 66 per cent.

Heatwave conditions are also on the forecast for parts of Rajasthan and southern Uttar Pradesh from April 4 to 7.