The maximum temperature in the city crossed the 40° Celsius mark for the first time this season on Wednesday to settle at 40.1 degrees, which is three degrees higher than the normal for this time of the year.
The minimum temperature settled at 24° Celsius, which is three degrees higher than normal.
Several parts of the national capital recorded temperatures over 40° Celsius earlier this week but it was the first time that the official reading of the Capital, given by the Safdarjung weather station, crossed the 40° Celsius mark, which is the first of the two criteria to declare a heatwave in the plains.
To fulfill the second criteria, the temperature must be 4-5 degrees higher than the normal for a particular time of the year.
However, thundershowers accompanied by gusty winds has been forecast for April 17 and 18 that is likely to bring the temperature down by 2-3 degrees, said an official from the Met department.
The Met department said that there is a 40% probability that temperatures in Delhi which falls in the “core heatwave zone” in April-May-June (AMJ) period will be above normal.
The season’s average mean temperatures are also likely to be warmer than normal by more than one degree Celsius in Delhi.
Arrival of monsoon
The India Meteorological Department has forecast a normal south-west monsoon season (June to September) and rainfall all over the country likely to be normal. The monsoon is likely to hit the coast of Kerala on June 1 and make its way to Delhi by June 27.