With day and night temps at least 5C above normal, Delhi braces for long summer haul

New Delhi: Delhiites witnessed unusual early summer-like conditions, with both day and night temperatures remaining at least five degrees Celsius above normal. The city recorded the warmest morning of the season as the minimum temperature on Monday rose to 19 degrees Celsius, which is five degrees above the seasonal average. The maximum temperature remained above 35 degrees Celsius for the third consecutive day.The day temperature is predicted to stay between 36 and 38 degrees Celsius on Wednesday. However, the Met department forecast that the day and night temperatures are likely to show a marginal dip from March 12 onwards. The minimum temperature in the city rose by two degrees Celsius, touching 19 degrees Celsius. "As a western disturbance started impacting the western Himalayan region, it led to the formation of clouds during the early morning hours in the region, leading to an increase in the minimum temperature," said RK Jenamani, senior scientist, India Meteorological Department. The Met department predicted that the minimum temperature is likely to remain between 18 and 20 degrees Celsius on Tuesday. It may, however, dip to around 16 to 18 degrees Celsius by March 12. Despite overcast skies in parts of the city for some time, the maximum temperature on Monday was recorded at 35.3 degrees Celsius, seven degrees above normal. It was 35.5 degrees Celsius on Sunday and 35.7 degrees Celsius on Saturday, making it the earliest in at least 15 years that the mercury crossed the 35 degrees Celsius mark. The day temperature is expected to show a marginal increase. It is likely to hover between 35 and 37 degrees Celsius on Tuesday and rise further to around 36 to 38 degrees Celsius on Wednesday. "Under the influence of a western disturbance, the mercury is expected to show a decline from Thursday onwards. Besides, the city is likely to record cloudy skies on March 15 and 16, leading to a dip in day temperatures," said Jenamani. The IMD predicted that the maximum temperature may dip to around 35 to 37 degrees Celsius on Thursday. It may drop further to around 34-36 degrees Celsius by March 15. Meanwhile, Delhi's air quality remained in the poor category, with an average Air Quality Index (AQI) of 209 on Monday. It was 247 a day earlier. The air quality is likely to be in the poor category on Tuesday, but it may dip to the moderate category on Wednesday and Thursday, according to the Centre's air quality early warning system.