Delhi reels under heat wave, no respite soon

The national capital continued to reel under severe hot weather on Saturday with the maximum temperature in some parts soaring to 46.2 degrees Celsius, officials said, holding out no respite was likely until Tuesday at leart

While the city recorded an average maximum of 45.4 degree Celsius, five notches above season's average, the temperature in Palam touched 46.2 degrees, making it the hottest place in the city.

According to an India Meteorological Department official, the heat wave which returned in the city on Friday is expected to continue till Monday, searing the entire northwest India.

"There might be some respite from the heat Tuesday onwards. There are also chances of very light rainfall next week," the official added.

According to IMD, the heat waves are caused when either the temperature is or above 45 degrees, or if mercury crosses 40 degrees but is five degrees higher than the season's average.

In NCR belt, Faridabad recorded the maximum temperature at 44.3 degree Celsius while in Gurugram, it was 44.9 degree Celcius.

According to private weather forecasting agency Skymet, both maximum and minimum temperatures are expected to rise further over Delhi and adjoining regions of Noida, Faridabad, Gurugram, and Ghaziabad.

"There chances of severe heat wave conditions to develop in pockets of Delhi and NCR are high as the maximum temperature may touch 47 degrees," it said, ascribing the heat due to the dry and hot northwesterly winds which are blowing over Delhi and NCR.

--IANS

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