Temperature in Delhi crosses 35 deg C mark

The mercury in the national capital shot up to 35.8 degrees Celsius, the highest so far this season, on Monday.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the city recorded a minimum of 18.5 degrees Celsius, a notch below the normal.

The air quality deteriorated slightly, moving to the middle of the moderate category (AQI 142) due to slow wind speed.

Mahesh Palawat of Skymet Weather, a private forecaster, said high humidity due to a fresh Western Disturbance is also responsible for deterioration of air quality, which had been oscillating in the good and satisfactory categories due to the 21-day lockdown imposed to contain coronavirus spread.

Cities across India have witnessed a reduction in local sources of pollution -- vehicular emissions, construction dust, stack emissions etc -- due to the 21-day lockdown.

Palawat said light rains are expected in Delhi on Tuesday evening and the mercury is likely to touch the 40 degrees Celsius-mark between April 15 and 20.