NEW DELHI: The temperature in the national capital is expected to touch 42 degrees Celsius on Friday, the IMD said, adding that heatwave conditions are unlikely over the next seven days.
The maximum temperature on Thursday was recorded at 40.3 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) on Thursday imposed Stage I measures in Delhi-NCR under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) as air quality slipped into the ‘poor’ category. According to IMD data, Wednesday was the hottest day of the year in the NCR region, with the maximum temperature touching 39.2 degrees Celsius.
On Thursday, the city recorded a minimum temperature of 20.3 degrees Celsius, 1.3 degrees below the season’s average. The weather department has predicted a partly cloudy sky during the day, with thundery development likely in the evening hours. The maximum and minimum temperatures over Delhi are expected to remain in the range of 40°C to 42°C and 22°C to 24°C, respectively.
At 40.7 degrees Celsius, North Delhi’s Ridge station was the hottest on Wednesday, the IMD said. The mercury settled at 39 degrees Celsius at Lodhi Road and Ayanagar, while it was 38.3 degrees Celsius at Palam. Meanwhile, the city’s base station, Safdarjung, recorded a maximum temperature of 39.2 degrees Celsius, which is 3.1 degrees above normal.
The weather department said that from Thursday, temperatures are expected to reach 40 degrees Celsius across more stations, including Safdarjung.The AQI on Thursday was recorded at 226, in the ‘poor’ category, as per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
According to CAQM, “The AQI of Delhi has been showing an increasing trend owing to unfavourable meteorological conditions and was recorded at 226 (‘Poor’ category) today. Further, the forecast by IMD and IITM has also predicted AQI to remain in the ‘poor’ category over the next two days.”
“The sub-committee of CAQM, accordingly, decided to invoke all actions under Stage I (‘poor’ air quality) of the extant GRAP in the entire NCR, with immediate effect,” the commission added.