Capital reels under heat wave
NEW DELHI: Heat wave conditions prevailed in the national capital on Wednesday with maximum temperature settling again at 46 degrees Celsius, six notches above season’s average.
According to the Met office, some relief from this extreme weather is expected on Thursday and Friday. Meanwhile, for Thursday the weatherman has forecast partly cloudy sky with development of thunder. Maximum temperature is likely to hover around 42 degrees C, met official added.
On Wednesday morning, minimum temperature settled at 28.4 degrees C, two notches above normal. On Tuesday, with the maximum temperature was 45 degrees Celsiusmark in some areas.
The Safdarjung Observatory had recorded a high of 44 degrees Celsius, four notches above normal. The weather stations at Palam, Lodhi Road and Aya Nagar recorded their respective maximum temperature.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an ‘orange’ warning for parts of Delhi on Tuesday. An ‘orange’ warning is issued for a heat wave, while a ‘red’ warning is issued for a severe heat wave.
In large areas, a heat wave is declared when the maximum temperature is 45 degrees Celsius for two consecutive days and a severe heat wave is when the mercury touches the 47 degrees-mark for two days on the trot.
In small areas like Delhi, heat wave is declared if the temperature soars to 45 degrees Celsius even for a day, according to the IMD. Mercury levels touched 45 degrees Celsius on Monday.
Accordingly the met department has issued a red alert in Delhi on Monday due to the heat wave.
As per the weather forecast on May 25, the minimum temperature in Delhi was recorded at 27 degrees Celsius which is one-degree Celsius more than the temperature on Sunday.
Kuldeep Srivastava, the head of the regional forecasting centre of the IMD, had said that some respite from the stifling heat was expected on Thursday due to a fresh western disturbance and easterly winds at lower levels. Dust storm and thunderstorm with winds gusting up to 60 kilometres per hour is likely over the National Capital Region on Friday and Saturday, Srivastava said.
The IMD forecast read: “Heat wave conditions over some parts with a severe heat wave over isolated pockets are very likely over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha and Telangana during the next five days. Haryana, Chandigarh, western Rajasthan, and Vidarbha, including Delhi-ncr, can see severe heat wave conditions in many areas.”
Kuldeep Srivastava, head of the Regional Meteorological Department of the IMD, said due to Western Disturbance and easterly winds, dust storm and thunderstorm activity is likely over Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on May 29-30.