New Delhi, Feb 21 (UNI) Delhi is gradually shifting to warmer weather as the city’s minimum temperature began to rise again on Saturday. With bright sunshine over the national capital, the minimum temperature settled at 14.2 degrees Celsius, around 2.4 degrees above normal, according to the data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
The weather department has indicated that temperatures are likely to rise over the next six days, with both minimum and maximum readings expected to remain normal to above normal, climbing by up to 5 degrees above the seasonal average.
The city is also likely to witness a sharp increase in daytime temperatures, with the maximum expected to surge by more than 5 degrees above normal, crossing the 30-degree mark and reaching up to 33 degrees by Friday next week, according to the department’s forecast.
On Friday, the maximum temperature reached 28.4 degrees Celsius, which was 2.9 degrees above normal and is expected to hover between 27 and 29 degrees Celsius for Saturday.
Even as temperatures continued to rise, Delhi experienced windy conditions, with south-westerly surface winds reaching up to 13 kmph over the past 24 hours.
Sustained breezes are likely to continue over the next week, with peak wind speeds during the daytime expected to touch 20 kmph. The stronger winds are likely to help disperse pollutants near the surface.
At 10 am on Saturday, Delhi recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 197, placing it in the ‘moderate’ category. This was an improvement from Friday’s average AQI of 210, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
However, the Air Quality Early Warning System (AQEWS) has forecast that the AQI is likely to remain in the ‘poor’ category until Monday. Thereafter, it may fluctuate between the ‘poor’ and ‘moderate’ categories.
As per CPCB standards, an AQI of 0–50 is classified as ‘good’, 51–100 as ‘satisfactory’, 101–200 as ‘moderate’, 201–300 as ‘poor’, 301–400 as ‘very poor’, and 401–500 as ‘severe’.
Delhi warms up, daytime temperature may touch 33°C next week
