Delhi's dry week ahead: No rain for 2 days, high humidity brings discomfort back

NEW DELHI: The national capital saw yet another hot and humid day on Tuesday with the mercury settling above normal for the second straight day, keeping the discomfort quotient high. Some relief is likely in sight with strong surface winds and thundershowers predicted on August 11-12, said, weather officials. 

On Tuesday, Safdarjung, Delhi’s base station, recorded a maximum of 36.8 degrees C, two notches above normal for this time of the year. On Monday it was 35.2 degrees C, a notch above normal. The relative humidity (RH) oscillated between 53% and 89%. 

According to India Meteorological Department (IMD) officials, no rain over the past two days, high moisture in the atmosphere and soaring mercury on its account have led to a high heat index (a measure of relative humidity and temperature).

“Usually for Delhi, 35-36 degrees C temperature is not that high, which sees much higher temperatures during peak summer, but it is the high humidity levels, which combined with high temperatures (in absence of rain) resulted in high heat index,” said a senior IMD official.

The official added that Delhi is likely to see a relatively dry week ahead, with the monsoon trough being away from Delhi and being closer to Central India.

“Delhi is unlikely to see any good rain spell this week barring some drizzle or light rain on Thursday and Friday. This is mainly because no weather system is in place as such to induce rain. Though moisture-laden easterly winds are blowing across Delhi, there is no active weather system to induce rain while it’s adding to high moisture in the atmosphere,” the official said. 

The forecast for the next few days shows Delhi’s maximum temperature will hover around 36-37 degrees C, while the minimum temperature will be around 26-27 degrees C.  While thundershowers activity along with strong winds of 25-30km/hour are expected on Thursday and Friday, said experts.