Delhi's max temperature falls below 40°C first time in 13 days, rain likely in 2 days

The IMD has issued a yellow alert in Delhi, a warning for thunderstorms or light rain over the next six days (till June 20). Furthermore, owing to western disturbance and lower level easterlies, the national capital is likely to receive rainfall between June 16 and 18.

After 13 days of brutal heatwave, Delhi's maximum temperature on Tuesday dipped to 39.6 degrees Celsius. The mercury at the Safdarjung observatory, which represents the official weather of the national capital, was one of the five weather stations that recorded a drop of maximum temperature below the 40-degree-mark, according to data shared by the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

The minimum temperature at Safdarjung observatory in Delhi settled at 31.2 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, June 14, 2022. (Raj K Raj/HT PHOTO)

The minimum temperature at Safdarjung settled at 31.2 degrees Celsius, the same as Monday, which is three notches above normal. On Monday, the maximum temperature at Safdarjung was recorded at 43.7 degrees Celsius.

The Met department has issued a yellow alert in Delhi, a warning for thunderstorms or light rain over the next six days (till June 20). It has also said that consecutive western disturbances and lower-level easterlies predicted in the forthcoming days are likely to keep the heat in the national capital at bay.

According to the latest IMD bulletin, the western disturbance and easterlies are expected to bring scattered to fairly widespread rainfall in Delhi and its adjoining states and Union territories (UTs) of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and eastern Uttar Pradesh between June 16 and 18.

Tuesday's weather is in sync with the forecast made by the Met department earlier as a cloudy sky encompassed the national capital.

The drop in maximum temperature is a relief since monsoon arrival has been delayed this year. It typically commences on June 1, and Delhi receives 13.8 mm of rainfall in the first 13 days of the month.

The capital is yet to record any rainfall this month.

Delhi has recorded a maximum temperature of 42 degrees Celsius and above on as many as 26 days so far this summer, the highest number of such days since 2012, news agency PTI reported citing IMD data.

The capital also saw at least five phases of deadly heatwaves, the worst being in mid-May when temperatures in two of IMD's weather stations in Mungeshwar and Najafgarh soared to 49 degrees Celsius.

The latest heatwave, which has been marked by dust storms, and hot and dry westerly winds, started on June 2.

(With inputs from PTI)