A man covers his face with a cloth to shield himself from the scorching heat in New Delhi. (PTI) With no let-up in the heat, the maximum temperature in Delhi is likely to remain at 40 degrees Celsius or above from April 7 to 13, going by the India Meteorological Department (IMD)’s forecast for seven days. While the maximum temperature on Thursday is set to be around 40 degrees Celsius, it is likely to rise to 42 degrees Celsius on April 9, the forecast indicates.
Since the temperature is likely to remain at or above 40 degrees, heatwave conditions are on the forecast from Thursday onwards till April 13.
The maximum temperature recorded at the Safdarjung weather observatory on Wednesday was 39.3 degrees Celsius, five degrees above normal. The minimum temperature early on Thursday was 19.4 degrees Celsius. Over the next six days, the minimum temperature, which is recorded at night, is likely to range from 20 to 22 degrees Celsius.
The Safdarjung weather station provides a marker for the city, and the maximum temperature recorded at the station is yet to reach 40 degrees this season.
On Wednesday, other weather observatories in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) recorded maximum temperatures of 40 degrees or above, registering heatwave conditions. The maximum temperature at the weather station at the Ridge was 41 degrees, while the one at Aya Nagar recorded 40.8 degrees Celsius, Lodhi Road 40.2 degrees Celsius, Pitampura 41.7 degrees, and Gurgaon 40.7 degrees.
The IMD said in a bulletin issued on Thursday morning that the heatwave spell over northwest and central India is likely to continue over the next five days, and a rise in maximum temperatures by about two degrees is likely over the next two days in this region.
Delhi-NCR has been witnessing heatwave conditions for over a week now. While the heatwave spell began in western Rajasthan and Gujarat, it extended to southern Haryana, Delhi, eastern Madhya Pradesh and parts of Uttar Pradesh by March 29. From March 29 to April 5, the heatwave spell lasted for eight days and is continuing. Heatwave spells lasting for 8 to 12 days have been observed in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi, Chandigarh, and Punjab in April 2017 and 2019, according to the IMD.
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