Weather swings: Hot morning, cool cameo
New Delhi: The national capital on Friday recorded its hottest morning of the year, even as parts of the city witnessed light rainfall during the day, as the maximum temperature settled at 32.6 degrees Celsius.
The minimum temperature settled at 20.6 degrees Celsius, making it the warmest morning of this year. The last time a higher minimum temperature was recorded was on March 13, when it stood at 20.4 degrees Celsius, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Light rainfall was recorded across the city between morning and 5:30 pm, with Safdarjung logging 0.7 mm, Ridge 1.2 mm, and trace rainfall reported in other areas.
Station-wise data showed Palam recorded a maximum temperature of 30.8 degrees Celsius, 1.9 degrees below normal. Lodhi Road logged 31.4 degrees Celsius, 0.6 degrees below normal, while the Ridge station recorded 32.9 degrees Celsius, 0.5 degrees below normal. Ayanagar recorded 31.6 degrees Celsius, 1.7 degrees below normal.
The weather office has predicted partly cloudy skies for Saturday, with the minimum temperature likely to settle at 18 degrees Celsius and the maximum around 32 degrees Celsius.
According to IMD officials, the ongoing spell of unusual weather in March is linked to a series of western disturbances affecting northwest India. These systems have been influencing the region since March 15 and are approaching at a lower altitude than usual, thereby impacting weather patterns over Delhi.
As a result, isolated parts of the city may experience high wind speeds, light rain and mild dust storms during the day. However, the current weather activity is unlikely to have any significant impact on temperatures, officials said.
Explaining the outlook, Mahesh Palawat of Skymet said rainfall activity is likely towards the end of the month.
“Between March 29 and 31, widespread rainfall activity is likely across large parts of India. This extended spell is expected to bring down temperatures, with daytime readings likely to settle in the mid-20s degrees Celsius towards the end of March,” he said.
On the minimum temperature front, Safdarjung recorded 20.6 degrees Celsius. Among other stations, Palam reported 19.6 degrees Celsius, 1.9 degrees above normal, Lodhi Road recorded 19.2 degrees Celsius, 3.2 degrees above normal, and Ridge logged 19.9 degrees Celsius, 0.3 degrees above normal.
Meanwhile, Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 141, falling in the ‘moderate’ category, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
