At 45.2°C, Delhi records hottest day of 2017
As the mercury touched 45.2°C in south Delhi’s Aya Nagar, the national capital recorded the hottest day of the season on Sunday.
The MeT department had on Saturday warned of a near heat wave-like condition this week. “Before Sunday, the hottest day recorded this season was on May 7, when the mercury reached 45.1°C at Palam. Today (Sunday), at Ayanagar, it touched 45.2°C,” a MeT official told Hindustan Times.
The Safdarjung observatory, whose recording is considered official for the city, registered a maximum temperature of 43.4°C, four points above what is normal at this time of the year, the MeT official said. On May 7, the mercury crossed the 44°C-mark at Safdurjung for the first time this season. The day temperature was 44.1°C, nearly five points above normal.
According to the weatherman, the hot winds coming in from the northwest and the dry conditions over Punjab and Haryana have forced the day temperature to shoot up. Sunday’s minimum temperature was recorded at 27.8°C, three notches above the normal. The humidity level oscillated between 53 and 18%.
The Palam observatory registered a maximum temperature of 44.7°C, while areas under Lodhi Road and Ridge recorded a day temperature of 43.6°C and 44°C, respectively, the official said.
Many Delhiites did not anticipate that it would be such a hot day and came to India Gate with their families. “I have come with my family (to India Gate) but will push off. It (the heat) is unbearable,” Ramesh Kumar, a Dilshad Garden resident, told HT.
On Monday, partly cloudy sky is expected. “The maximum and minimum temperature will be around 43°C and 29°C, respectively,” the MeT official said.
According to a senior MeT official, a little bit of relief can be expected on Wednesday. “Dust storm and thunderstorm are expected on May 17 (Wednesday). This will bring down the temperature a little bit for a couple of days. However, after that it will again increase,” he said.
Normally, the temperature goes up in north India during May 15-30.
THE MET DEPT EXPECTS CLOUDY SKY ON MONDAY AND THUNDERSTORMS ON WEDNESDAY, WHICH IS LIKELY TO BRING DOWN THE MERCURY IN THE NATIONAL CAPITAL