New Delhi : With a fresh western disturbance influencing northwest India on Sunday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a “yellow” alert for light rain and gusty winds on Monday, with chances of scattered light rain on Tuesday as well. Another western disturbance is also likely on April 2, with chances of very light rain in Delhi on April 3 and 4.
On Sunday, experts said while rains were recorded along the Himalayan mountains and parts of northern Punjab, it eluded most of Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.
“We saw gusty winds in Rajasthan too, but in Delhi, it remained mostly clear, leading to the maximum rising quickly,” said Mahesh Palawat, vice president at Skymet.
In the Capital, despite a “yellow” alert for rain, it largely remained sunny, with mercury rapidly rising through the day. The city recorded a maximum temperature of 36.2°C – four degrees above normal and close to the season high of 36.8°C recorded on March 11. The minimum temperature stood at 19.8°C, two degrees above normal.
Palawat said there are chances of rain in Delhi on Monday during the day, before this western disturbance starts to weaken again. Adding that a fairly cool start to April was on the cards, he said, “We will then get another western disturbance around April 2 and 3, followed by another between April 6 and 9, so the temperature is unlikely to rise too rapidly.”
According to amateur weatherman Navdeep Dahiya said frequent western disturbances are likely to continue next month, keeping heatwaves at bay till the end of April. “Frequent western disturbances will keep temperatures under check and estimated to be 2-5°C below normal across northwest and central parts of the country at least till April 20,” he said on X.
Forecasts show a sharp dip in temperature on Monday, with overcast skies and rain likely to keep it between 30-32°C.
It should stay in a similar range on Tuesday too, making for a cooler end to the month. The minimum temperature is expected to hover around 20-22°C on Monday.
While March in Delhi began on a fairly warm note, with little rain, the second half has been marked with multiple western disturbances, bringing moisture and rain to the region. The city stayed fairly cool till the weekend, with temperatures rising rapidly — by nearly 4°C over last 48 hours. The maximum temperature on Friday was 32.6°C and 33.6°C on Saturday.
Temperatures in the first half of March consistently remained over 30°C and above normal. Delhi’s maximum on March 1 was 30.7°C – five degrees above normal for that time of the year. It had touched 35.7°C by March 7, making it the earliest it has crossed 35°C in at least 15 years. It touched a season-high of 36.8°C on March 11, which was eight degrees above normal on the day. In the second half of the month, it has been above 30°C on 10 days, with it crossing 35°C for the first time in the second half of the month on Sunday.
According to IMD data, maximum temperatures in March can touch close to anywhere between 38-39°C by the end of the month, even inching to 40°C. The all-time high of 40.6°C came on March 31, 1945. In the past 15 years, the highest maximum has been 40.1°C, which was recorded on March 30, 2021. The highest maximum last March was 38.9°C on March 26 and it was 37.8°C in 2024 (March 29). It was 34.3°C in 2023 (March 16) and 39.6 in 2022 (March 31).
Meanwhile, Delhi’s air quality stayed in the ‘moderate’ category. It was 198 (moderate) on Sunday – up from a reading of 154 (moderate) at the same time. Forecasts by the Centre’s Air Quality Early Warning System (EWS) for Delhi shows similar AQI – in the moderate range over the next nine days as well.