Delhi weather update: Delhi recorded the highest temperature of the season till date at 39 degrees Celsius, five notches above normal, a Met official said on Thursday (April 3). The second-highest temperature of the season was recorded on March 26, when the mercury touched 38.9 degrees Celsius, according to weather department data. The minimum temperature in the capital was recorded at 15.6 degrees Celsius, three notches below normal, the MeT office added.
The humidity levels fluctuated between 41 per cent and 22 per cent during the day, the IMD said. The weather office has forecast strong surface winds for Friday (April 4), with the maximum temperature expected to be around 38 degrees Celsius, and the minimum 16 degrees Celsius.
Delhi air quality level
The city's air quality continued in the 'poor' category with an AQI of 217 at 4:00 pm on Thursday, as per the Central Pollution Control Board. The Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi has forecast an improvement in the capital’s air quality, which is expected to shift to the moderate category for the next two days.
The Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi has forecast an improvement in the capital’s air quality, which is expected to shift to the moderate category for the next two days.
An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered 'good', 51 to 100 'satisfactory', 101 to 200 'moderate', 201 to 300 'poor', 301 to 400 'very poor', and 401 to 500 'severe'.
Delhi govt likely to conduct trial for artificial rain to combat pollution
The Delhi government is likely to conduct a trial for artificial rain in May as part of its efforts to tackle air pollution, Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said on Thursday. The trial will be carried out in an area in outer Delhi, with the final site selection to be made by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and IIT Kanpur, he said.
Sirsa said the plan is part of a broader strategy to tackle pollution using multiple methods. “This is a war against pollution and we are working on various measures, with artificial rain being one of them. Before implementing it on a large scale, we will try to conduct a trial in May when summer is at its peak,” he added.
He further said, “We have asked for detailed reports to determine whether the chemicals used in cloud seeding could have any harmful effects on human health or the environment." Based on the findings, we will conduct a small-scale test and analyse water samples. If the trial is successful, we will expand the project across Delhi during periods of severe pollution, the environment minister said.