Temperatures in the capital continued their steady rise on Saturday, with Delhi recording a sunny day with the maximum temperature reaching 34.7 degrees Celsius, ending a brief respite from a two-day rain spell. While the maximum temperature was still 1.4 degrees below normal, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the gradual rise over the past few days is on track to reach a maximum of 40 degrees Celsius by Wednesday.
Since recording the ten-year maximum monthly temperature of 28.2 degrees Celsius on April 8, Delhi recorded maximum temperatures of 30.8 degrees Celsius and 32.8 degrees Celsius on Thursday and Friday respectively.
The maximum temperature will rise over the next six days and is expected to reach 40 degrees Celsius by Wednesday, and may reach 41 degrees Celsius on Friday, the IMD said on Saturday. “A gradual rise in maximum temperatures by 6-7 degrees Celsius over the next seven days. The prevailing maximum temperatures are likely to become below normal over the next two days, then above normal to significantly above normal thereafter,” the IMD said in its forecast.
On Saturday, Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 18.6 degrees Celsius, which is also below the normal of 21 degrees Celsius. However, the IMD expects the minimum temperature to rise in increments of 1-2°C daily over the next few days and reach 23-25°C by Thursday.
Experts attributed the high temperatures to the lack of weather activity. “There will be dry winds over the next few days, with the chilliness of the northwesterly winds fading away. With bright and continuous sunshine with no cloud cover and no rain, the temperature is bound to rise,” said Mahesh Palawat, Vice President, Skymet Weather.
A heatwave-like condition – when the maximum temperature reaches 40 degrees Celsius, which is 4.5 degrees Celsius above normal – may also occur over the next few days, Palawat said.
Meteorologist Navdeep Dahiya, in a post on
So far this year, the maximum temperature recorded in the capital was 36.8 degrees Celsius – on March 11 and April 2. In comparison, Delhi recorded higher temperatures in the first week of April last year. In 2025, Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 39°C on April 3 and over 40°C by April 7. The highest temperature in April last year was 41 degrees Celsius, recorded on April 8, as the city recorded a three-day heat wave from April 7 to 9.
The International Meteorological Institute said in its forecast for Sunday: “Generally clear skies, and continuous surface winds ranging in speed from 15 to 25 kilometers per hour, sometimes reaching 35 kilometers per hour during the day.”
The city’s 24-hour average air quality index at 4 pm was 123, in the ‘moderate’ category, according to the Central Pollution Control Board’s daily bulletin, marking an improvement from the 151 reading recorded the previous day.
The center’s early warning system in Delhi predicted that Al-Qaeda in Iraq would be “moderate” to “weak” during the next six days. Although temperatures may drop due to western disturbances, this is unlikely, Palawat said.
