Heatwave in Delhi to worsen today: IMD

Safdarjung, Delhi’s base weather station, recorded a maximum temperature of 42.5°C — three degrees above normal — on Friday, while Najafgarh recorded a high of 46.1°C.

Parts of the Capital reeled under a heatwave on Friday, with the mercury crossing 46 degrees Celsius (°C) in south-west Delhi’s Najafgarh, even as the weather office predicted that a “severe heatwave” would take hold of the city on Saturday

Experts also warned that the health and death toll from the ongoing heatwave spell should be documented. (ANI)

Safdarjung, Delhi’s base weather station, recorded a maximum temperature of 42.5°C — three degrees above normal — on Friday, while Najafgarh recorded a high of 46.1°C.

Jafarpur Kalan in south-west Delhi recorded the second-highest temperature at 45.6°C, followed by Mungeshpur at 45.4°C and Pitampura at 44.7°C, with all four weather stations recording heatwave conditions.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) declares a heatwave over the plains if the maximum temperature is 40°C or higher and 4.5 degrees above normal, with this criterion being satisfied over two consecutive days.

The IMD has issued an “orange” alert — warning of severe heatwave conditions — when the maximum temperature could jump to between 45°C and 47°C in parts of the Capital on Saturday.

There is a “yellow” alert in place for Sunday, with similar highs of 44-46°C expected at most stations.

However, Met officials did forecast some relief after the weekend with a fresh western disturbance expected to bring down the mercury to around 41°C from Monday.

“The temperature on Friday was almost similar to Thursday. However, Najafgarh crossed the 46-degree mark. According to the forecast, Saturday is expected to record the highest maximum temperature compared to Friday and Sunday. From Monday, Delhi will witness cloudy skies and thunder, which will bring down the maximum temperature to 41-42°C,” said RK Jenamani, senior scientist at IMD.

He added that according to IMD forecast, the Safdarjung station could record a maximum temperature of 44°C on Saturday, while other parts of Delhi could record temperatures close to 47°C.

So far, the highest maximum temperature recorded this year at the Safdarjung station has been 43.5°C, recorded on three consecutive days – April 28, 29 and 30.

It was also Delhi’s hottest April day in the last 12 years, since April 18, 2010, when the temperature was 43.7°C. The highest maximum recorded at any station this year was 47.1°C, at the Sports Complex station in Akshardham on April 30.

Met records show that the mercury has hit, or crossed, 45°C at Safdarjung twice in the past four years. While last year, the highest maximum in May at Safdarjung was just 41.6°C (May 5), it was 46°C degrees in 2020 (May 27).In 2019, the highest maximum temperature in May at Safdarjung was 44.7°C (May 31), while it was 45°C in May, 2018 (May 27).

The all-time record for May is 47.2°C, recorded on May 29, 1944.