In spite of storm, temperature to rise to 43C

NEW DELHI: NCR recorded another dust storm on Saturday with wind speed touching 56km/hr as parts of south Delhi, Gurgaon, Faridabad and Noida were affected. The winds were accompanied by light rain in some parts. However, Met officials said it is unlikely to provide much relief with temperatures forecast to touch 44 degrees Celsius over the next few days.

“The intensity of the storm was greater in places like Gurgaon and Faridabad. In the capital, parts of south Delhi, west Delhi and central Delhi were more affected by the dust storm. The wind speed was much lower in intensity compared to the last few storms,” said a Met official.

Delhi saw a scorching hot afternoon, however, dark grey skies appeared around 3pm with gusty winds and dust.

Safdarjung observatory, which is considered the basis for Delhi’s weather, had a maximum temperature of 41.4 degrees Celsius on Saturday.

According to the regional Met office, Delhi is likely to have a maximum of 43 degrees on Sunday which could rise to 44 degrees by Tuesday. Weather stations in Delhi also recorded a ‘trace’ of rainfall during this period, officials said.

“We have been seeing temperature over 40 degrees for the last few days. While rain did bring it down for a couple of days, clear skies are expected from Monday onwards for the next 5 days and this could see the maximum rise to 44 degrees,” said the Met official.

Forecast for Sunday, meanwhile, showed a chance of “thundery development” with a maximum and minimum of 43 and 27 degrees Celsius respectively.