Delhi / Temperature may hit 47°C today: IMD

Some areas in the national capital, including Palam and Ayanagar, experienced heatwave on Sunday with the daytime temperature hitting 46 degrees Celsius.

The India Meteorological Department has warned that while the heatwave is likely to continue on Monday, some areas could encounter ‘severe heatwave’, as the mercury could hit 47 degrees Celsius.

The maximum temperature at the India Meteorological Department’s Safdarjung observatory, which is taken to be a representative of Delhi, was recorded to be 43.8 degrees Celsius, four degrees above normal.

“Some localities such as Palam, Ayanagar, Ridge and Lodhi Road experienced heatwave. At Safdarjung, however, there was no heatwave,” said a senior official of the IMD.

The IMD declares a heatwave when the maximum temperature in an area hovers above 40 degrees Celsius and it is at least 4.5 degrees above the normal. If the temperature is 45 degrees Celsius or more, then the meteorological department declares a heatwave. A ‘severe heatwave’ is a condition when the maximum temperature in a locality hits 47 degrees Celsius. On Sunday the maximum temperature, both at Palam and at Ayanagar, was 46.2 degrees Celsius.

“The hot and dry northwesterly winds are bringing in heat from desert areas of west India and from across the international border. Because of this the temperature is rising,” said an official.

The IMD has forecast that even though there are chances of dust storm and thunderstorm on Tuesday and Wednesday and light rain on Thursday, it won’t help in bringing down the temperature drastically, as the amount of rain will be very little.

“The temperature will remain around 42-43 degrees Celsius over the next one week, at least,” said the official.

Usually Delhi receives around 7.6mm rain between June 1 and June 9. But this time, there has been no rain during this period. This is further helping the heat to build up. Normally monsoon hits Delhi around June 29.