Delhi: Brace for rise in mercury from today, IMD says no rain till June 26

The city received light to very light rainfall on Tuesday, keeping the maximum temperature below the 35 degrees Celsius (°C) mark for a fourth consecutive day

The city received light to very light rainfall on Tuesday, keeping the maximum temperature below the 35 degrees Celsius (°C) mark for a fourth consecutive day. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said no rain is expected in the city from Wednesday till Sunday (June 26), and though the maximum temperature to expected to rise gradually, it will remain below 40°C during this period.

Mercury expected to rise this week in Delhi, says IMD. (Praful Gangurde/HT Photo)

The maximum temperature recorded by Safdarjung observatory, Delhi’s base weather station, was 34.5°C on Tuesday, four degrees below normal for this time of the year, and a rise of 1.7 degrees as compared to Monday.

In terms of minimum temperature, Delhi saw another cool night, with the mercury settling at 24.9°C, three notches below normal. Delhi’s relative humidity (over the past 24 hours) was between 54-84%. The highest maximum temperature on Tuesday was recorded in Najafgarh, at 36.5°C, while the highest minimum was 28.4°C, in Pitampura.

For Wednesday, IMD has forecast that the maximum temperature may rise to 36°C, while the minimum will hover around the 25°C.

While Safdarjung recorded 0.7mm of rainfall between 8.30am and 5.30pm, Lodhi Road station received 0.2mm rain and Ayanagar 12mm of rain during the same period. With the latest spell, Delhi has now received 24.5mm of rainfall so far this June. This is still well short of the monthly average of 65.5mm, with the IMD stating that the next possibility of very light rainfall is only on June 27.

“The impact of the current western disturbance is almost over and Delhi will see clear skies and a gradual rise in mercury from Wednesday. The humidity levels will drop slightly, but will still remain on the moderate side,” said an IMD official asking not to be named.

While the IMD is yet to declare a date for the arrival of the south-west monsoon in the national capital, the normal date monsoon onset in Delhi is June 27. According to private weather forecaster Skymet, monsoon this year is likely to hit Delhi around June 30.

“Westerly winds are making a return from Monday, but rainfall should return to the capital by June 27. We expect the monsoon to reach Delhi around June 30,” said Mahesh Palawat, vice-president, Skymet.