Delhi records minimum temperature of 22.2 degree C, light rains likely

Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 22.2 degrees Celsius, five notches below the normal, on Wednesday morning while light rain is likely during the day, the India Meteorological Department said.

The national capital on Tuesday recorded a minimum temperature of 17.6 degrees Celsius. It was 10 degrees below the normal and the lowest ever for the month of June, primarily due to rainfall, thunderstorm and gusty winds under the influence of a western disturbance.

The maximum temperature in the city is likely to settle around 36 degrees Celsius on Wednesday. It was 33.6 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, seven notches below the normal.

Kuldeep Srivastava, the head of the IMD's regional forecasting centre, said Delhi had recorded a minimum of 18 degrees Celsius on June 17, 2006.

The weather office has forecast a partly cloudy sky with very light rain and thundershowers for Wednesday.

Delhi recorded a mean maximum temperature of 37.5 degrees Celsius in May, the lowest for the month in 13 years.

It was also the first time since 2014 that the Safdarjung Observatory, considered the official marker for the city, did not record a heatwave in the pre-monsoon period, according to the IMD.

First, frequent western disturbances kept the mercury in check and later Cyclone Tauktae led to "record" rains, Srivastava said.

It is also the first time since 2011 that Palam did not record a heatwave in the pre-monsoon period this year, he said.

According to IMD data, the city has broken a weather record every month since August last year.