Delhi's maximum temperature to drop 4-5 deg C in two days, says IMD

No heatwave conditions was predicted for the national capital in April, IMD official said

The maximum temperature in the national capital is expected to drop to nearly 33 degrees Celsius from the prevailing 39 degrees Celsius in the next two days, the weather department said on Friday.

"The maximum temperature is expected to drop by four to five degrees Celsius in the upcoming two days as the capital will experience showers of rain and be covered with cloudy skies due to the active western disturbance which will hit northwest India on Friday," scientist and head of the Regional Weather Forecasting Centre, Kuldeep Srivastava told PTI.

An active western disturbance is forecasted to hit northwest India by late Friday night, starting from Jammu, and its effects will reach Delhi late night on April 13 and continue till April 14, he said.

"The temperature will drop by nearly 33 per cent in the capital, with overcast skies and wind speeds of 30 to 40 kmph. The effects of the April western disturbance will be felt until April 18 and 19, so the temperature will not reach 40 degrees Celsius until then," he said.

No heatwave conditions was predicted for the national capital in April, Srivastava said.
 

According to IMD data, the maximum temperature in Delhi has been around 40 degrees Celsius for the past three days, with the minimum temperature recorded at 21.7 degrees Celsius on Friday.

"Heatwaves occur when the maximum temperature reaches above 40 degrees Celsius and the departure is above 4.5 degrees Celsius from the normal," as per an IMD FAQ on heatwave.

The days are warm but due to cloudy skies, the nights are relatively chilly currently, the official said.

In mid-May and June, harsh summer days are seen when the temperature is over 40 degrees Celsius and may even reach 45 degrees Celsius, he said.

Srivastava added that last year, summers were mild in Delhi.

"According to our observation, temperatures this summer will be three to four degrees Celsius above normal, with temperatures expected to reach 45 degrees Celsius by the end of May, he added.