Delhi air quality moved to the middle of the moderate category due to slow wind speed. (File)
The mercury in Delhi shot up to 35.8 degrees Celsius, the highest so far this season, today.
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.
Mr 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.