Scorched by 'severe heatwave', Delhi recorded hottest day of year at 43.5°C on June 30

NEW DELHI: A 'severe heatwave' gripped the city on Wednesday with the mercury rising to 43.5°C, seven notches above normal, and the highest this year. Like Tuesday, Najafgarh was Delhi's hottest spot at 44.4°C.
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Heatwave conditions are likely to continue in isolated parts of the city on Thursday. The lack of rainfall along with hot winds blowing from Rajasthan led to the severe weather condition, IMD's Kuldeep Srivastava said. There may be respite on Friday in the form of a duststorm or thunderstorm.
Winds from Rajasthan: Air in poor zone
Met officials said winds from Rajasthan gusting at 50 km/hr have pushed Delhi’s air quality into the ‘poor’ category, with an overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of 206 on Wednesday as compared with Tuesday’s reading of 195 (moderate).
Srivastava, also the head of the Regional Weather Forecasting Centre (RWFC) in Delhi, said though heatwave conditions are expected to prevail across the region even on Thursday, the intensity will be lower. "We will not see a severe heatwave like Wednesday, but the mercury will still be above normal." Thursday’s maximum temperature may drop to around 41°C and may further fall to 39°C the next day due to a likely thunderstorm activity.
The IMD defines a heatwave day when the maximum is 4.5°C and more above the normal temperature and the maximum is at least 40°C. A heatwave is also declared if the maximum touches 45°C or above. A ‘severe heatwave’ is declared when the maximum is 6.5°C or more above normal.