Delhi hits 35.7°C, scorches 50-year March record
What's the story
Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 35.7°C on Saturday, the highest for the first week of March in the last five decades. The previous record was 34.8°C on March 5, 1999, according to data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The second-highest temperature during this period was recorded in 2016 at a maximum of 33.6°C on March four.
Pollution spike
Air quality deteriorates
The city's air quality has also worsened, with the 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) at 246, which falls in the "poor" category. This is a sharp decline from 170, which was in the "moderate" category just a day earlier. The deterioration comes after three consecutive days of moderate air quality.
Temperature records
Safdarjung recorded a maximum temperature of 35.7°C on Saturday
Safdarjung, Delhi's base weather station, recorded a maximum temperature of 35.7°C on Saturday, which is 7.3 degrees above normal. The minimum temperature was recorded at 17.4°C, which is also above normal by 3.4 degrees. Other weather stations in the city also reported above-normal temperatures with no rainfall during the past 24 hours on Saturday, according to IMD data.
Temperature trend
Highest average maximum and minimum temperatures since 2022
The average maximum temperature in Delhi so far this March is around 33°C, while the average minimum stands at 16.3°C. These are the highest averages since 2022, when the average maximum was recorded at 33.4°C and the minimum at 17.6°C for March. The all-time highest temperature for March in Delhi remains a scorching 40.6°C on March 31, 1945.