Commuters use scarves to shield themselves from the heat wave on a hot summer day
Highlights
- IMD issued an orange alert for a severe heatwave today in Delhi, temperature might soar to 46-47°C.
- Silver lining: Cloudy skies and thunder may provide some relief from the intense heat next week.
- This is the fifth heatwave -- one in March and three in April -- in the capital this summer season.
Delhi heatwave update: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an orange alert for a severe heatwave today, and warned that the temperature might soar to 46-47 degrees Celsius in parts of the city. Delhi has been under a screeching heatwave for the last two days, and the IMD issued a 'yellow alert' for tomorrow as well.
However, the silver lining is: Cloudy skies and thunder may provide some relief from the intense heat next week.
The maximum temperature at the Safdarjung Observatory, Delhi's base station, is predicted to settle at 44 degrees Celsius as against 42.5 degrees Celsius on Friday.
Delhi on Friday saw the mercury rise to 46.1 degrees Celsius at Najafgarh. The weather stations at Jafarpur and Mungeshpur had recorded maximum temperatures of 45.6 degrees Celsius and 45.4 degrees Celsius, respectively, six notches above normal for this time of the year.
Pitampura also reeled under heatwave conditions, recording a maximum temperature of 44.7 degrees Celsius.
This is the fifth heatwave -- one in March and three in April -- in the capital this summer season.
With scanty rains owing to feeble western disturbances, Delhi had recorded its second hottest April this year since 1951 with a monthly average maximum temperature of 40.2 degrees Celsius. A heatwave at the month-end had sent the mercury soaring to 46 and 47 degrees Celsius in several parts of the city.
The capital got a miniscule 0.3 mm of rainfall in April against a monthly average of 12.2 mm. March saw nil rainfall against a normal of 15.9 mm. The IMD had predicted above normal temperatures in May.
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(pti inputs)
