Feb 2nd warmest since 1901 in Delhi
NEW DELHI: February this year was the second warmest in the Capital since 1901, according to data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD), a temperature spike that came due to clear skies, and fewer western disturbances than usual. However, weather experts clarified that this was not an indication that summer this year will be hotter than usual.
IMD recordings show that the mean maximum temperature (MMT) in February this year was 27.9°C.
The highest mean maximum temperature in February was recorded in 1960 and 2006, when this level in both years shot up to 29.7°C. The average MMT for the month of February is 22.1 degrees Celsius.
Kuldeep Srivastava, head of IMD’s regional weather forecasting centre, said the high temperatures recorded this month were primarily due to clear skies, caused by fewer western disturbances.
He also said the higher-thanusual February temperature does not mean that Delhi’s summer will be warmer than usual, and that the mercury levels were caused by an isolated weather phenomenon that will not affect temperatures over the rest of the year.
“As against the average of six western disturbances that February usually gets, the city got only one active western disturbance, on February 4. With such a prolonged period without a western disturbance, the sky remained clear, which led to an uninterrupted passage of sunlight. This caused the day time temperature to be higher,” Srivastava said.
On February 25, the city also recorded the highest maximum temperature for the month since 2006, when the mercury rose to 33.2°C. 34.1°C
On Sunday too, the temperatures remained higher than normal. At the Safdarjung weather station, which is the official marker for the city, the maximum temperature was 32.3°C, seven higher than the season’s normal. The minimum touched 15.6°C, three above normal.
IMD forecast said that temperatures are expected to fall slightly till March 2, after which the rising trends will return. From March 3 to March 6, the maximum temperatures are expected to hover between 30°C-32°C.
Meanwhile, as the temperatures continue to inch up, air quality in the Capital has been improving. Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) recordings show that the overall air quality of Delhi on Sunday was 208, in the ‘poor’ zone. On Saturday, the average AQI was 203, also categorised as ‘poor’ in the AQI scale.
Union ministry of earth science’s air quality monitoring centre, System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (Safar) forecast said, “The winter fury appears to be over but now Delhi air will start getting influenced by mineral dust. High surface wind speed, higher temperature, and higher boundary layer heights are influencing AQI positively. Hence, AQI is forecasted to be in ‘moderate’ to ‘poor’ category in the next two days.