A sunny morning greeted the national capital on Friday, with the minimum temperature settling at 25.6 degrees Celsius — two notches below the season’s average, according to officials from the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
The IMD forecast for the day predicted a cloudy sky, with the maximum temperature expected to hover around 39 degrees Celsius. Over the next five days, the maximum temperature in Delhi is likely to rise gradually by five to seven degrees Celsius, though no heatwave conditions are expected during this period, as per a report by the weather office.
The IMD also noted that in recent days, the minimum temperature has been appreciably below normal — by three to six degrees Celsius — while the maximum temperature has remained markedly below normal by five to seven degrees.
On Friday at 9 am, the city’s air quality was recorded in the ‘moderate’ category with an Air Quality Index (AQI) reading of 138, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). As per CPCB standards, an AQI between zero and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51 to 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 to 200 ‘moderate’, 201 to 300 ‘poor’, 301 to 400 ‘very poor’, and 401 to 500 ‘severe’.
Earlier this week, on Tuesday, south-westerly winds with speeds reaching up to 19 kmph were reported across the city. Meanwhile, the IMD’s seven-day forecast had predicted partly cloudy skies on Thursday, with clearer conditions expected from Friday onwards. The maximum temperature is projected to steadily rise, possibly reaching 43 degrees Celsius by early next week.
In terms of precipitation, Delhi experienced a substantial rainfall surplus in May. The Safdarjung weather station recorded 186.4 mm of rain, significantly higher than the normal 30.7 mm — marking an excess of over 500 per cent. However, earlier months of the year saw largely deficient rainfall.
On Thursday, Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 37 degrees Celsius and a minimum of 24.6 degrees Celsius, the IMD reported.
(With inputs from PTI)
