Met predicts rain after Tuesday heat

It was another hot day for Delhi on Tuesday, with the mercury reaching 43 degrees Celsius, three notches above normal, in the city reeling under a heat wave for the past few days.

The minimum temperature settled at 34.2 degrees, seven degrees above what is normal for this time of the year.

Some relief, however, might be expected on Wednesday as generally cloudy sky with moderate rain has been predicted by the MeT department. Maximum and minimum temperatures are expected to hover between 37 and 30 degrees Celsius.

“The rain from early hours on Wednesday is expected to the curb the heat wave. It will bring down the temperature a little bit and provide a bit of relief,” a MeT official said.

According to him, the western disturbance will bring in relief for Delhi and continue for four consecutive days.

“On Wednesday and Thursday, rain is expected along with squally winds. On Friday, rain and thundershower has been predicted while on Saturday, dust storm, too, is expected,” he said.

On Sunday and Monday, the mercury reached 44.6°C, nearly four notches above normal, highest yet this season. The minimum temperature on Monday, however, was 33.6°, which is six notches above normal, and much higher than Sunday’s 30.4 degrees Celsius.

Such high temperatures can cause sunstroke or heatstroke to people out in the open, especially children playing in neighbourhood parks. Health experts advise people to drink plenty of water and juices to avoid dehydration, which can be fatal sometimes.

Among other stations in Delhi, the Aya Nagar observatory registered a maximum temperature of 43.4°C, while areas under Lodhi Road and Ridge recorded a day temperature of 43°C and 44.1°C, respectively. Palam recorded 44.2°C on Tuesday. On Sunday, however, the maximum temperature touched 47°C, which is highest for the station this season.

The humidity on Tuesday oscillated between 46% and 26%.