In next 10 days, temperatures to seesaw: Rise, then fall

New Delhi: The capital witnessed overcast skies, gusty winds and light rain on Tuesday under the influence of a western disturbance, bringing some relief from the heat in the evening.

However, temperatures are expected to rise over the next two days before dipping again later in the week.Safdarjung, Delhi’s base weather station, recorded a maximum temperature of 33.7 degrees Celsius on Tuesday — a degree above normal — compared to 35.1 degrees Celsius on Monday.According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), skies are likely to remain fairly clear over the next two days, with temperatures rising and possibly nearing 37 degrees Celsius by Thursday.

A fresh western disturbance, however, is expected to affect the region from Friday onwards, bringing scattered light showers and a drop in temperatures.“A new western disturbance will start influencing northwest India from April 2. On April 3 and 4, we can expect scattered light rain in Delhi-NCR. Overcast skies and rainfall will lead to a fall in temperatures after a brief rise on Wednesday and Thursday,” an IMD official said.

Rainfall recorded till 5.30 pm on Tuesday stood at 2.1 mm at Safdarjung, 2.6 mm at Palam, 2.8 mm at Lodhi Road, 2.4 mm at Ridge and 2.2 mm at Ayanagar.Overall, March ended with 20 mm of rainfall at Safdarjung, above the long-period average (LPA) of 17.4 mm for the month. Despite a cooler end, this March emerged as the warmest in four years, with an average maximum temperature of 32.6 degrees Celsius — the highest since 2022, when it was 33.4 degrees Celsius.“We can expect April to begin on a cooler note as well. Two more western disturbances are approaching — from April 2 to 4 and again from April 6 to 9 — which will bring cloudiness and rain, keeping maximum temperatures in check,” said Mahesh Palawat, vice-president, Skymet.The air quality index (AQI) stood at 171 on Tuesday, compared to 180 a day earlier — both in the ‘moderate’ category.