New Delhi:
Delhi witnessed its warmest Republic Day in eight years on Sunday with the maximum temperature settling at 23.7 degrees Celsius, two notches above normal, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
The Capital had recorded a maximum temperature of 26.1 degrees Celsius on January 26, 2017.
Over the years, Delhi’s temperature on January 26 has fluctuated significantly. While the long-period average (LPA) maximum for the day since 1991 is 22.1 degrees Celsius, recent years have been cooler with the mercury settling at 20.6 degrees Celsius in 2024, 17.3 degrees Celsius in 2023 and 16.4 degrees Celsius in 2022.
The IMD attributed the consistently above-normal maximum temperatures in Delhi to clear skies and dry northwesterly winds.
“Despite a recent western disturbance bringing some rain and snow to parts of northwest India, the maximum temperature in Delhi has remained relatively unaffected due to bright daytime sunshine,” explained Mahesh Palawat, Vice President, Skymet.
However, the clear skies and northwesterly winds have contributed to a dip in night temperatures.
Delhi’s minimum temperature on Sunday was 7.2 degrees Celsius, a notch below normal and a slight drop from 8.6 degrees Celsius on Saturday and 9.8 degrees Celsius on Friday.
A fresh western disturbance is expected to impact the region starting January 28, leading to a further rise in both maximum and minimum temperatures.
“The disturbance will shift wind patterns, reduce wind speeds and bring cloud cover, which will trap heat at night and cause night temperatures to rise,” said Palawat.
According to the IMD, the minimum temperature could increase to 9-11 degrees Celsius by the weekend while the maximum will hover between 24-26 degrees Celsius.
Meanwhile, Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) entered the ‘poor’ (216) category from ‘moderate’ (174) on Saturday.
According to the Early Warning System (EWS) for Delhi, AQI levels are likely to remain in the ‘poor’ category on January 27 and 28, and worsen to ‘very poor’ by January 29.
An AQI between 0 and 50 is classified as ‘good’, 51 to 100 as ‘satisfactory’, 101 to 200 as ‘moderate’, 201 to 300 as ‘poor’, 301 to 400 as ‘very poor’, and 401 to 500 as ‘severe’.
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