Delhi: Drizzle expected to bring some relief later today after another hot day

IMD said there will be more rain from Wednesday onwards and a sharp drop in temperatures with the mercury settling under 40°C

Scorching sun, hot winds, and humidity are likely to continue to make the heat worse before a drizzle later on Tuesday is expected to bring some relief as a western disturbance begins to impact the region. The mercury is expected to hover between 43 and 45°C before cloudiness from the evening.

The city recorded a minimum temperature of 29.8°C on Tuesday. (HT PHOTO)

The city recorded a minimum temperature of 29.8°C on Tuesday, three degrees above normal while the air quality returned to the “poor” category. The average Air Quality Index (AQI) was 217 at 9am, compared to 199 (moderate) at 4pm on Monday.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said there will be more rain from Wednesday onwards and a sharp drop in temperatures with the mercury settling under 40°C. On Wednesday, the maximum temperature is likely to be around 39°C and around 36°C on Thursday. Drizzle or very light rain is also expected on Friday and Saturday.

A yellow alert has been issued for Wednesday and Thursday, asking people to take precautions in view of light rain and gusty winds. A similar alert was issued earlier for heat.

Five of Delhi’s 13 weather stations recorded a peak temperature of more than 45°C on Monday. The mercury shot up to 43.7°C, the highest this year so far, at the base station of Safdarjung. Najafgarh and the Sports Complex (Akshardham) stations were the hottest with a maximum temperature of 46.2°C.

The Heat Index (HI), or, “real feel temperature”, was hotter. At 2:30pm on Monday, an air temperature of 42.6°C combined with a relative humidity of 34% meant the HI hovered around 51°C. The HI was 45°C on Sunday.

An HI of 26–32°C can cause fatigue while 32–40°C is widely associated with sunstroke, and 40–54°C with heatstroke.

IMD does not calculate HI yet. For individual stations, it has begun giving out HI-based forecasts this summer onwards, identifying parts of the country most likely to be impacted by a combination of high humidity and temperature.

IMD scientist Kuldeep Srivastava said moisture intrusion from approaching western disturbance increased the relative humidity on Monday making it more uncomfortable amid heat wave-like conditions.

A heatwave occurs when the maximum temperature is over 40°C Celsius and 4.5 degrees or more above normal. On Monday, five stations met this criterion—Najafgarh and Sports Complex (46.2°C), Pusa (45.8°C), Pitampura (45.8°C), and Narela (45.3°C).

The minimum temperature also rose on Monday to 27.3°C, a degree above normal. It was 24°C on Sunday.