Delhi is likely to get relief from the recent heat on Tuesday, with the India Meteorological Department forecasting partly cloudy skies, thunderstorms, strong winds and light rain at several places. The expected weather shift comes as the city’s air quality worsened to an AQI of 187 on Sunday, the highest level recorded in 83 days.
The weather department has forecast a fall in temperatures on Tuesday after two consecutive days of intense sunshine and heat. Between 6 and 10 October, Delhi’s maximum temperature is expected to remain between 31 and 34 degrees Celsius. The forecast indicates that the warmer spell may ease as cloud cover and rain develop in parts of the capital.
Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 36.4 degrees Celsius on Sunday, which was 2.2 degrees above normal. The minimum temperature stood at 24.1 degrees Celsius, 1.8 degrees above the normal level. Ayanagar recorded the city’s highest maximum temperature at 37 degrees Celsius, followed by Safdarjung at 36.4 degrees, Lodhi Road at 36.3 degrees, the Ridge at 35.8 degrees and Palam at 34.6 degrees.
Minimum temperatures also varied across monitoring locations. Safdarjung recorded 24.1 degrees Celsius, while Lodhi Road recorded 23.2 degrees, Ayanagar 22.8 degrees, Palam 22.4 degrees and the Ridge 21 degrees. For Monday, the IMD forecast clear skies, with the maximum and minimum temperatures expected to remain around 36 degrees and 24 degrees Celsius respectively.
The deterioration in air quality adds a second layer to Delhi’s changing weather conditions. According to the report, the city’s AQI reached 187 on Sunday, marking its highest level in the previous 83 days. The last time Delhi recorded a higher AQI was on 13 July, when the city’s index reached 246.
Data from the Sameer app showed that 16 monitoring stations recorded air quality in the ‘poor’ category. Mundka reported the highest AQI at 273, followed by Narela at 257. Air quality was in the ‘moderate’ category at 26 stations, while Burari was the only monitoring location in the ‘satisfactory’ category.
The Central Pollution Control Board classifies AQI levels from 0 to 50 as ‘good’, 51 to 100 as ‘satisfactory’, 101 to 200 as ‘moderate’, 201 to 300 as ‘poor’, 301 to 400 as ‘very poor’ and 401 to 500 as ‘severe’. The IMD’s next forecast indicates partly cloudy conditions, thunderstorms, strong winds and light rain at several locations on Tuesday, while the temperature outlook for 6 to 10 October places Delhi’s maximum temperatures between 31 and 34 degrees Celsius.