New Delhi experienced its first isolated heatwave of the year as temperatures soared, with Najafgarh recording 47.5 degrees Celsius, the highest in the country on Friday. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasts the scorching heat and heatwave to persist in many parts of the city over the weekend.
The city’s base station at Safdarjung marked the year’s highest maximum temperature at 43.6 degrees Celsius, three notches above normal. While it didn’t qualify as a heatwave day in the city, several areas, including Najafgarh, Ayanagar, Mungeshpur, and others, experienced heatwave conditions.
Neighboring Noida also saw temperatures soar, reaching 45.2 degrees Celsius. The IMD predicts the maximum temperature to rise further over the next two days, potentially reaching 44 degrees Celsius on Saturday and around 45 degrees on Sunday, with many parts of the city likely to face continued heatwave conditions.
Regarding air quality, the city remained in the poor category, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 231, slightly better than the previous day’s 235. However, the weather department anticipates an improvement in air quality, expecting it to be in the moderate category from 18.05.2024 to 20.05.2024.
“The air quality is likely to be in the moderate category from 18.05.2024 to 20.05.2024. The outlook for the subsequent 6 Days indicates predominant surface winds likely from the Northwest in Delhi with speed of 14-20 kmph,” the IITM forecast said. It also predicted heatwave conditions at isolated places on Saturday.
