New Delhi: The maximum temperature breached the 44 degrees Celsius mark in parts of Delhi on Wednesday, even as winds carrying dust from Rajasthan pushed the capitals air quality to the "very poor" category, according to India Meteorological Department. However, "widespread rainfall" is likely to bring down the mercury and pollution levels on the weekend, it said. The Safdarjung Observatory, considered the official marker for the city, recorded a minimum of 31.4 degrees Celsius, the highest minimum temperature this year so far, and a maximum of 42.2 degrees Celsius. On April 28 too, the observatory had recorded a maximum of 42.2 degrees Celsius, the highest temperature recorded this year so far, the IMD said. In Najafgarh and Pitampura, the mercury settled at 44.1 degrees Celsius and 44.3 degrees Celsius, it said. The likely formation of a low-pressure area over north Bay of Bengal around June 11 and its movement towards north-westerly direction may lead to "fairly widespread to widespread rain and thundershowers over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and west Uttar Pradesh on June 12 and June 13," the IMD said. It also predicted heavy rainfall at isolated places in Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi on June 13. Notably, Delhi has not recorded any heatwave so far this summer.

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