Heat wave returns to Delhi

Heat wave conditions returned to the national capital on Thursday with the mercury in some parts of the city touching the 45-degrees Celsius mark.

Delhi reeled under a heat wave in the last week of May, though maximum temperatures declined slightly due to the easterly and southeasterly winds in northwest India from June 1.

However, the mercury rose again over the last two-three days due to the continuous dry spell in the region, according to private forecaster Skymet Weather.

On Thursday, the Safdarjung Observatory recorded a high of 43.9 degrees Celsius and a low of 28.6 degrees Celsius. Humidity levels oscillated between 19 and 66 per cent.

The weather stations at Palam, Delhi Ridge and Ayanagar recorded maximum temperatures at 45.3, 45.2 and 45 degrees Celsius, respectively.

In large areas, a heat wave is declared when the mercury touches the 45-degree mark for two consecutive days and a severe heat wave is when the temperature soars to 47 degrees Celsius for two days on the trot, an official of the India Meteorological Department said.

In small areas, like the national capital, a heat wave is declared if the maximum temperature is recorded at 45 degrees Celsius even for a day, he said.

The weather man has forecast partly cloudy skies and heat wave conditions at isolated pockets in the city on Friday. Maximum and minimum temperatures will hover around 44 and 28 degrees Celsius, respectively.