Mercury to rise, but Delhi temperature still lower than earlier years: IMD

Unlike the past few years, the Capital had not recorded any heatwave days this May so far. Meteorologists declare a heatwave when the maximum temperature for a location in the plains crosses 40°C. In the hills, the threshold temperature is 30°C

While the mercury levels are expected to rise in the National Capital in the coming days, India Meteorological Department (IMD) scientists said that temperatures will continue to remain lower than that of previous years.

Representational Image.

Kuldeep Srivastava, head of IMD’s regional weather forecasting centre, said, “The temperature is not expected to cross 44 degrees Celsius (°C). Unless that happens, there will be no heatwave. As many as five western disturbances, along with the impact of the cyclone, have kept away heatwave conditions so far,” said Srivastava.

This month, Delhi recorded 144mm rainfall, which was the second wettest May since 2008. Srivastava said since no further rain is predicted in the coming week, the recorded rainfall could be considered as the reading for the month.

The Safdarjung observatory, whose readings are taken as representative of the whole city, had recorded 21.1mm of rain in May last year. The recorded rainfall for the month of May stood at 26.9mm in 2019 and 24.2mm in 2018. In the years preceding that, rainfall received stood at 40.5mm in 2017, 24.3mm in 2016, 3.1mm in 2015, and 100.2mm in 2014, as per the IMD data.

Srivastava said unlike the past few years, the Capital had not recorded any heatwave days this May so far. Meteorologists declare a heatwave when the maximum temperature for a location in the plains crosses 40°C. In the hills, the threshold temperature is 30°C.

A heatwave is also declared when the departure in the maximum day temperature is 4.5°C to 6.5°C from the normal.