The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast rain and thunderstorms in the national capital on Thursday, following the season’s warmest night so far. Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 25.9 degrees Celsius — 5.9 degrees above normal — making it the highest April minimum in the last three years.
Several parts of the city experienced both “warm” and “very warm” night conditions. According to the IMD, a “warm night” is declared when the maximum temperature is 40 degrees Celsius or higher and the minimum temperature is 4.5 to 6.4 degrees Celsius above normal. A “very warm night” is when the minimum temperature exceeds this range, with a departure greater than 6.4 degrees Celsius from the norm.
Thursday’s minimum surpassed Wednesday’s record of 25.6 degrees Celsius. In contrast, April minimums in 2023 and 2024 remained below 25 degrees Celsius, peaking at 23.6 and 24 degrees Celsius, respectively. The highest minimum recorded in April 2022 was 26.2 degrees Celsius.
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A ‘warm night’, as defined by the IMD, occurs when the minimum temperature departs from normal by 4.5 degrees Celsius to 6.4 degrees Celsius and is only declared if the maximum temperature remains at 40 degrees Celsius or more.
The maximum temperature on Thursday is expected to hover around 39 degrees Celsius.
Meanwhile, Delhi’s air quality remained in the ‘poor’ category. At 9 a.m., the Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 243, as reported by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The AQI scale classifies scores between 201 and 300 as ‘poor’, with higher categories indicating worsening pollution levels.
