Fresh heatwave in store for Capital amid rising mercury, predicts IMD

After a brief respite, mercury rose to over 42 degrees Celsius (°C) in parts of Delhi on Sunday as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) warned of a return of heatwave conditions in the Capital this week.

While the maximum temperature at Safdarjung, which is considered representative of Delhi, was 40.4°C on Sunday — two degrees above normal and a degree up from a day ago — it was 42.7°C at Najafgarh, followed by 42.3°C at Jaffarpur.

The IMD has predicted the rise in temperature to continue into the week, declaring a “yellow alert” (issued to warn of a possible weather phenomenon) in the Capital for heatwave conditions from Tuesday to Saturday.

According to the Met department, the maximum temperature is expected to hover between 41°C and 43°C on Monday, following which it will rise to 43-45°C on Tuesday and 44-46°C between Wednesday and Saturday.

“The impact of the western disturbance has gone away and dry westerly winds are returning, which will raise the maximum temperature to 45 degrees in many places of Delhi. Heatwave conditions are likely to return from Tuesday onwards, when Safdarjung could see a maximum of around 43°C and other parts are expected to cross the 45-degree mark,” said a Met official.

The highest maximum recorded at the Safdarjung station so far this year has been 43.5°C, recorded on April 28, 29 and 30. The highest maximum temperature in Delhi so far this year is 47.1°C, recorded at the Sports Complex weather station in Akshardham on April 30.

May is known to be a particularly hot month for the Capital, with the maximum temperature crossing the 45-degree mark at Safdarjung multiple times in recent years.

While the highest maximum in May at Safdarjung last year was just 41.6°C (May 5), it was 46°C (May 27) in 2020, 44.7°C (May 31) in 2019, 45°C (May 27) in 2018. The all-time temperature record for May is 47.2°C, recorded on May 29, 1944.

In terms of minimum temperature, Delhi recorded a low of 25.2°C on Sunday, around normal for this time of the year. Humidity levels in the Capital meanwhile oscillated between 32% and 69% respectively, showed data from the weather office.