TNNNew Delhi: Prepare for hotter days as temperatures are likely to reach 41 degrees Celsius by April 17.The maximum temperature on Sunday was 34.7 degrees Celsius, one degree below normal and the same as Saturday.The city has mostly been recording mercury below normal in April as rain and overcast skies kept temperatures under check. However, after the rain spell stopped and clear skies returned, the mercury again started rising from April 9.With rain unlikely in the next seven days, the mercury is predicted to show a rising trend. “As no active western disturbance is expected to impact Delhi, the days are likely to become warmer. A gradual rise in maximum temperatures by 4-5 degrees Celsius is expected during the next seven days. The maximum temperatures are likely to be normal during the next two days and above normal to appreciably above normal thereafter,” a Met official said.The India Meteorological Department has predicted that the day temperature is likely to stay between 36-38 degrees Celsius on Monday, and it may touch 40 degrees Celsius for the first time this year by April 15. It is expected to rise further to around 39-41 degrees Celsius by April 17.In this season so far, the highest maximum temperature stood at 36.8 degrees Celsius on two days: April 2 and March 11. The second half of March was relatively cooler due to back-to-back western disturbances causing light rain and overcast skies.In contrast, April last year saw an intense heatwave spell from April 7 to 9 as the mercury crossed 40 degrees Celsius.Strong winds prevailed in parts of the city on Sunday. Gusty winds with speed up to 37 kmph prevailed over Palam from 4.30 pm for nearly three hours. “Surface winds during the daytime are expected to prevail with speed up to 30 kmph on Monday,” said another official.The minimum temperature on Sunday stood at 20.2 degrees Celsius, one degree below normal. It is likely to hover around 19-21 degrees Celsius on Monday, but it may reach 25 degrees Celsius by April 16.Meanwhile, Delhi’s air quality continued to remain in the moderate category. The AQI was 163 as opposed to 123 a day earlier.According to the Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi, which functions under the Union ministry of earth sciences, the air quality is likely to stay in the moderate category till April 15, and it may hover between the moderate and poor range in six days thereafter.