Heatwave in parts of Delhi record max temp 5 degrees above normal

Heatwave conditions persisted for the third consecutive day in parts of Delhi on Tuesday, with some weather stations recording the maximum temperature at least five degrees Celsius above normal.

Cloudy weather and light rain may provide some relief from the heat on Wednesday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

Delhi's primary weather station, the Safdarjung Observatory, registered a maximum temperature of 40.4 degrees Celsius, four notches higher than normal. This is the fourth consecutive day that the maximum temperature settled above 40 degrees Celsius here.

The Pusa and Pitampura areas experienced heat wave conditions with maximum temperatures settling at 41.6 degrees to 41.9 degrees Celsius, respectively.

The threshold for a heatwave is met when the maximum temperature of a station reaches at least 40 degrees Celsius in the plains, at least 37 degrees Celsius in coastal areas, and at least 30 degrees Celsius in hilly regions, and the departure from normal is at least 4.5 degrees Celsius.

The IMD said a western disturbance active over the western Himalayan region is predicted to bring light rain in the northwestern plains starting Tuesday.

Earlier this month, the MeT office predicted above-normal maximum temperatures for most parts of the country from April to June, except parts of the northwest and the peninsular regions.

Above-normal heatwave days are expected in most parts of central, east, and northwest India during this period.

In 2022, Delhi recorded its second hottest April since 1951 with a monthly average maximum temperature of 40.2 degrees Celsius.

The city saw nine heatwave days in April last year, including four in the first 10 days, which was the maximum in the month since 2010.

It had recorded a high of 43.5 degrees Celsius on April 28 and April 29 last year. This was the highest maximum temperature in the month of April in Delhi in 12 years.