Temp falls 10 degrees, shoots up 9 notches in 48 hrs

Delhi witnessed a rare temperature variation in the last 48 hours. A day after the temperature dropped by 10 degrees on Monday, the mercury shot up by nine degrees on Tuesday.

Meteorological experts in the regional weather department said that such unusual fluctuations in a matter of two days have not been registered in summer months of May and June in the last six years at least.

“In the last 48 hours the city registered a variation of nearly 19 degrees. In the first 24 hours the temperature dropped by more than 10 degrees — from 39.6 degrees to 29.4 degrees. Then it shot up by nine degrees from 29.4 degrees to 38.3 degrees,” said an official.

Experts said that while a thunderstorm on Sunday triggered by a combination of western disturbance and cyclonic circulation forced the mercury to plummet, the temperature shot up once the system faded.

“In the past, even though the mercury had plummeted by around eight degrees because of rain, it usually increased gradually as the heat built up every day. Rarely had it shot up by eight degrees in one day once the rain stopped,” said an official.

Met officials, however, claimed that the temperature usually hovers around 40 degrees Celsius during this time of the year and the mercury was just returning to its normal range as the rains have stopped.

“The heat is going to build up over the next few days and the mercury is expected to touch 43 degrees again by the weekend. On Wednesday, it could cross the 40 degrees mark,” he added.