The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast a western disturbance to bring scattered light rainfall and gusty winds to the Capital from Wednesday to Friday, which are expected to bring down the day temperatures, officials said. It also issued yellow alerts for Thursday and Friday, with wind speeds expected to touch 40-50kmph, alongside multiple spells of light rainfall.
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On Tuesday, Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 31.6°C, which is around the normal for this time of the year. The IMD has forecast a maximum of 32-34°C on Wednesday, before dipping by 3-4°C by Friday amid overcast skies and rainfall.
“The maximum may hover between 29°C and 31°C on Thursday and decrease further, to between 27°C and 29°C on Friday,” said an IMD official, stating the maximum will remain between 30°C and 32°C, even after the impact of the western disturbance dissipates.
“After the spell of rain on Monday morning, a second western disturbance will impact northwest India from Wednesday. Two successive western disturbances like these tend to keep mercury in check for at least a week, particularly when there is rainfall,” the official said.
The near-normal temperatures will provide a respite from the unusual heat the city has experienced in the first half of March, as temperatures have remained over 30°C and above normal. The maximum on March 1 was 30.7°C, which was five degrees above normal; it 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.
Mahesh Palawat, vice president at Skymet weather forecasting, said this western disturbance will have a cooling effect in the region. “We will also have overcast skies, particularly from Thursday, with its effect weakening on Saturday,” he said.
Delhi’s minimum temperature on Tuesday, meanwhile, was 15.8°C, which was a degree below normal and 1.6°C lower than the previous day. According to the forecasts, the minimum is expected to rise, touching 19-21°C by Thursday, before dipping again, to 14-16°C by Saturday.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB’s) daily bulletin, the 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) was 189 (moderate) on Tuesday.