Delhi heats up as maximum temperature crosses 34°C-mark

According to the India Meteorological Department, partly cloudy skies are likely on Wednesday but the maximum and minimum temperatures are likely to be 33°C and 18°C respectively

Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 34.2 degrees Celsius (°C) on Tuesday, 5°C above normal, and also the highest yet this season. The minimum temperature on Tuesday was 5°C above normal at 18.8°C.

Noida, India - May 30, 2015: Laborers work at a brick kiln on a hot summer day in Noida, on the outskirts of New Delhi, India, on Saturday, May 30, 2015. The blistering heatwave claimed more than1,800 lives in just over a week in India. In southern India, hundreds of people died since the middle of April as soaring summer temperatures scorch the country. (Photo by Burhaan Kinu / Hindustan Times)

According to the India Meteorological Department, partly cloudy skies are likely on Wednesday but the maximum and minimum temperatures are likely to be 33°C and 18°C respectively.

Under the influence of two fresh Western Disturbances (WD) in quick succession, rain and snow is expected over Western Himalayas. A Western Disturbance is lying as a cyclonic circulation over West Rajasthan and another is approaching on March 11.

Isolated rainfall with thunderstorm, lightning and hail is likely over north-western plains, including Delhi-NCR, on March 11 and 12. “We are expecting light rainfall activity and clouding over the plains in the next 2-3 days. Over Delhi, rain is expected around March 12. Widespread rain and thunderstorms are expected over the hills. There may be a marginal dip in maximum temperatures over Delhi after the WD moves away but that will be only for March 13 and 14,” said Kuldeep Shrivastava, head, regional weather forecasting centre. He added that maximum temperatures normally go up when a WD is approaching due to a change in wind direction which now has an easterly component (blowing from the direction of Bay of Bengal). Once the WD moves away, the wind direction will switch to northwesterly, bringing cooler winds from the direction of Western Himalayas.