NEW DELHI: The city recorded the coolest April day in 10 years as the maximum temperature dipped to 28.2 degrees Celsius, which was seven degrees below normal, on Wednesday. Light rain and overcast skies provided a cooling effect.A cooler April day than this Wednesday was on April 23, 2016 when the temperature was 27.2 degrees Celsius.However, the mercury is expected to start rising on Thursday and may touch 38 degrees Celsius by April 14.Several parts of the city got rain because of a western disturbance. According to the India Meteorological Department, Safdarjung, the city’s base station, logged 6.4 mm of rainfall till 8.30 am. Palam got 4.4 mm till 8.30 am and another 0.6 mm from 8.30 am to 5.30 pm. Lodhi Road recorded 5.6 mm till 8.30 am and just trace rainfall during 8.30 am to 5.30 pm. The minimum temperature stood at 16.8 degrees Celsius, three notches below the normal.As the impact of the western disturbance is expected to be over by Thursday, the gradual rise in mercury is likely as the skies clear and dry westerly winds are expected to return. “A gradual rise in the maximum temperature is likely by 6-8 degrees Celsius from Thursday onwards for the subsequent seven days. At present, the maximum temperatures are below normal but they are likely to become normal during the next three days and above normal thereafter,” said a Met official.The Met department has predicted that the maximum is likely to stay between 30 and 32 degrees Celsius on Thursday and it may rise to around 35-37 degrees Celsius by April 12. It may further increase to between 36 and 38 degrees Celsius by April 14.In this season so far, the highest maximum temperature has been 36.8 degrees Celsius on two days, March 11 and April 2. The second half of March was relatively cooler due to back-to-back western disturbances causing light rain and overcast skies.Rain, along with gusty winds, helped the city record the second satisfactory AQI day of the year with a reading of 93. The city saw another satisfactory day on March 20 at 93. Delhi’s AQI was 114 on Tuesday.However, the air quality is predicted to deteriorate to moderate on Thursday and remain so on Friday. The outlook for the subsequent six days from Saturday onwards is “moderate to poor” AQI, the Centre’s Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi has said.
