Authorities in New Delhi shut schools, halted construction and banned nonessential trucks from entering the city after air pollution shot up to its worst level this season.

The blaze was the fourth such incident in the last one month, as Delhi’s landfills are catching fire due to heavy build up of methane between the layers of millions of tonnes of garbage and high temperatures the city. Local residents said small fires keep erupting in the huge mountain of waste, but they have not seen such a massive one that broke out on Tuesday night.

Delhi reeled under a 'severe heatwave' on the day of Holi, as the maximum temperature shot up to 40.1 degrees Celsius, making it the hottest day in March in 76 years, the India Meteorological Department said on Monday.

“The average high temperature for the month of April for places like New Delhi, India, is 36 C,” says Weather Network meteorologist Ida Hung. Sizzling temperatures are coinciding with India’s nationwide lockdown due to the novel coronavirus outbreak.

Air quality index at 12 times US government-recommended level and visibility low