Guess what is helping Delhiites at night after suffering the heatwave conditions in most parts of the city?

The relatively better air quality!

Yes, you read it right. India Meteorological Department (IMD) records have shown that even as Delhi NCR is witnessing a continuous heatwave for most stations for more than a week, the temperatures in nighttime and the early hours are normal or sometimes, a negative departure from normal rendering it pleasant.

The heatwave has continued since March 26.

“The minimum temperatures are normal and the main reason is the clear sky. This helps in radiational cooling and heat dissipation at night time in the relative absence of haze and dust,” IMD’s senior scientist R.K. Jenamani said.

The air quality index in southeast Delhi was moderate (101-200), poor in New Delhi, West Delhi, East Delhi, Central Delhi, southwest Delhi, and Shahdara, while that in north, northeast, and northwest Delhi showed very poor (301-400). For much of the year, the AQI ranges from very poor to severe to very severe.

The maximum temperatures at Safdarjung, Palam, Lodi Road, Ridge, and Ayanagar on Tuesday were registered as 38.1, 38.8, 39.2, 40.2, and 39.4 degrees Celsius, respectively (departures in the range of 5-7 notches above normal) while the minimum temperatures were recorded for these stations like 19.0, 22.9, 18.7, 21.1 and 18.4 degrees Celsius (hardly any departure from normal), the IMD data showed.

Pitampura, Sports Complex, Najafgarh, and Gurgaon too have registered temperatures more than 40 degrees Celsius on Tuesday.

On Monday, Najafgarh, Ridge, and Pitampura in Delhi registered maximum temperatures of 40.2, 40.2, and 40.6 degrees Celsius respectively, IMD had said.

March 2022 had witnessed two heatwaves, the second of which has spilled over into April. IMD has already said that this March was without rain.

Asked if the reason for the absence of humidity – which adds to the oppressive heat – is because of the absence of rains, Jenamani said: “March is otherwise also a dry month. It has got nothing to do with rain. The humidity in Delhi increases ahead of monsoon, i.e. mostly in June and sometimes in later part of May.”