Delhi weather updates: Light-intensity rain and drizzle are likely to occur in the next two hours over and adjoining areas of Delhi National Capital Region (NCR), Haryana and Rajasthan, said Regional Weather Forecasting Centre (RWFC) today (April 12).
The official media account of RWFC New Delhi took to Twitter and said, "12/04/2023: 01:50 IST; Light intensity rain/drizzle and gusty winds with speed of 30-40 Km per hour would occur over and adjoining areas of isolated places of Delhi ( Narela, Bawana, Jafarpur, Deramandi), NCR ( Greater Noida, Gurugram, Faridabad) Bhiwani, Charkhi Dadri, Mattanhail, isolated places of Delhi ( Narela, Bawana, Jafarpur, Deramandi), NCR ( Greater Noida, Gurugram, Faridabad) Bhiwani, Charkhi Dadri, Mattanhail, Jhajjar (Haryana) Sadulpur (Rajasthan) during next 2 hours".
"Uttar Pradesh and Haryana will also experience strong surface winds with speeds between 25 to 30 kmph during April 12 and April 13," the bulletin said.
Earlier in the day, RWFC in its weather forecast update bulletin for the next five days predicted that there will be a gradual rise in maximum temperatures by 3-5 degree Celsius over the plains of Northwest India.
Delhi temperature:The Safdarjung Observatory, Delhi's primary weather station, recorded a minimum temperature of 22.1 degrees Celsius, a notch above normal. The maximum temperature is likely to settle around 37 degrees Celsius. The city had recorded a maximum of 36.8 degrees Celsius on Tuesday (April 11), the highest this summer season so far.
The capital is bracing itself for a prolonged dry spell that is expected to drive temperatures up to 40 degrees Celsius at isolated places in the city over the coming week, meteorologists have said. The IMD has predicted above-normal maximum temperatures and more-than-usual heat wave days in northwest India from April to June.
"Dry weather is predicted in Delhi for at least a week. Maximum temperatures are likely to touch the 38-degrees Celsius mark by April 15-16 in the absence of any Western Disturbance," Kuldeep Srivastava, the head of the IMD's regional forecasting centre, said.
The meteorologist said the maximum may hit the 40-degree Celsius mark at isolated places in the capital by April 16-17, but a "heat wave is unlikely". A heat wave is declared if the maximum temperature of a station reaches at least 40 degrees Celsius in the plains, at least 37 degrees Celsius in coastal areas and at least 30 degrees Celsius in hilly regions, and the departure from normal is at least 4.5 degrees Celsius.
In 2022, Delhi recorded its second hottest April since 1951 with a monthly average maximum temperature of 40.2 degrees Celsius. The city saw nine heat wave days in April last year, including four in the first 10 days, which was the maximum in the month since 2010.
It had recorded a high of 43.5 degrees Celsius on April 28 and April 29 last year. This was the highest maximum temperature on an April day in Delhi in 12 years. Delhi logged six heat wave spells in the summer season last year, the deadliest being in mid-May when the maximum temperature soared to 49 degrees Celsius at some places. India logged its hottest February in 2023 since record-keeping began in 1901, according to the IMD.
However, above normal rainfall (37.6 mm against a normal of 29.9 mm) due to seven Western Disturbances, including five strong ones, kept temperatures in check in March. March 2022 was the warmest ever and the third driest in 121 years. The year also saw the country's third warmest April since 1901.
(With ANI inputs)
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