Diwali eve was the second-hottest day of October in Delhi as the month mirrored the weather conditions of the previous year. Wednesday recorded the second-highest maximum temperature at 36.1 degrees Celsius, 5.1 degrees above normal, the weather department said.
The highest maximum temperature this month was recorded on October 19 at 36.2 degrees Celsius.
Last year, the mercury touched a peak of 36.7 degrees Celsius in the month of October, the same as in both 2021 and 2020. Also, just like in 2023, this year's October didn't see any rainy day.
According to the India Meteorological Department, the temperatures are expected to drop after the second week of November.
Overall, this year, October was the hottest since 1951. The maximum temperature reached 35.1°C, while the minimum was 21.2°C, breaking previous records for the month.
The highest average maximum temperature for October was recorded at 36.2°C in 1951, as per an India Today report. The temperatures, however, were still normal for this year's October with no major dip, according to weather experts. Had the temperatures been lower, it could have led to higher pollution levels.
Meanwhile, the air quality in the city was in the "very poor" category with the Air Quality Index plummeting to 359 on Friday as against 330 on Thursday night.
An AQI reading between 0 and 50 is considered 'good', 51 to 100 is considered 'satisfactory', 101 to 200 is considered 'moderate', 201 to 300 is considered 'poor', 301 to 400 is considered 'very poor' and 401 to 500 is considered 'severe'.
In a bid to curb a spike in pollution, the Delhi government imposed a comprehensive ban on the manufacture, storage, sale, and use of firecrackers earlier this month.
However, the city defied the ban as several areas saw the bursting of firecrackers. Areas including Lajpat Nagar, Kalkaji, Chhatarpur, Jaunapur, East of Kailash, Saket, Rohini, Dwarka, Punjabi Bagh, Vikas Puri, Dilshad Garden, Burari and many other neighbourhoods of east and west Delhi saw bursting of firecrackers.