Delhi continued to reel under hot and humid weather on Sunday, with maximum temperatures ranging between 42°C and 44°C — two to three degrees above normal. Although the heat index — or “feels-like” temperature — peaked at 47°C at 5.30pm, due to a combination of high temperature and humidity, the national capital has not entered the official heatwave territory yet, said India Meteorological Department (IMD).
IMD recorded a maximum temperature of 42.1°C, which is two notches above normal, at Safdarjung — the city’s primary weather station. The minimum temperature settled at 27.6°C, which is normal for this time of the year. Ayanagar saw temperatures touch 44°C, with the nighttime minimum rising to 29.2°C.
While these temperatures are significantly high, they fall just short of the IMD’s heatwave criteria for plains: a maximum temperature of 40°C or more, with a departure of at least 4.5°C from normal, sustained for two consecutive days.
In comparison, parts of the National Capital Region (NCR) like Rohtak and Narnaul in Haryana recorded their first day of heatwave conditions.
Temperatures in west Rajasthan remained the highest in the region, crossing 45°C with isolated areas experiencing severe heatwave conditions.
According to the IMD, relative humidity levels surged to 70% even as westerly winds persisted across the region.
Krishna Mishra, senior IMD scientist, said Delhi temperature departures (the difference between normal and actual temperatures) being close to 3 degrees Celsius could be the reason for the hot and humid condition being realised in the capital. “The condition is likely to continue till June 12,” he added.
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“These temperatures are expected to rise by 3°C in the next three days and reach 44°C. Due to this, hot and humid days are likely to continue till June 12,” stated the IMD’s weather bulletin.
According to the IMD, Delhi’s maximum temperatures will hover between 43°C and 45°C until Tuesday. Dust-raising winds of up to 30 km/h have been forecast during this period, with mostly clear skies predicted on Wednesday.
Thursday, though, might bring some respite, with a forecast of light rainfall accompanied by gusty winds up to 60 km/h.
A yellow alert has been issued for Friday, warning of lightning and thunderstorms, while Saturday could bring partly cloudy skies with light rain and gusty winds.
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Although monsoon has made rapid early progress — reaching Kerala on May 24 and Mumbai by May 26 (16 days ahead of normal) — its advance has stalled over northwest India, including Delhi, due to persistent dry winds.
As per the Sunday’s weather bulletin, the monsoon continued to pass through Mumbai and Ahilyanagar (in Maharashtra), Adilabad (in Telangana), Bhawanipatna and Puri (in Odisha), Sandhead Island (off Bay of Bengal), and Balurghat (West Bengal).
According to the IMD’s outlook for June, above-normal day time temperatures with warm nights, below-normal heatwave days, and a wetter-than-usual rainy season has been forecast.
Although the monsoon typically arrives over Delhi by June 29, according to scientists at the IMD, it is still too early to forecast the exact onset of the southwest monsoon over the capital.
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For now, the coming days will continue to bring uncomfortable heat and humidity, with a possible dip in daytime temperatures only towards the weekend — around 38°C, although night temperatures will likely stay high, nearing 29°C, as per the Met office’s forecast.
