Temperature continues to rise, crosses 40°C in parts of Delhi

The India Meteorological Department has said temperatures may touch around 42°C by Friday, but ruled out heatwave conditions over the next seven days.

New Delhi: Temperature continued to rise in the capital, with parts of Delhi crossing the 40°C mark, as the capital recorded its hottest day of the year for the second consecutive day.

Across stations, the Ridge in north Delhi recorded the highest temperature at 40.7°C. (Arvind Yadav/HT photo)

Safdarjung — the city’s base station — recorded the maximum temperature at 39.2°C, three degrees above normal, up from 38.2°C on Tuesday. Clear skies and bright sunshine kept conditions hot.

Across stations, the Ridge in north Delhi recorded the highest temperature at 40.7°C. Lodhi Road and Ayanagar recorded 39°C each, while Palam logged 38.3°C.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has said temperatures may touch around 42°C by Friday, but ruled out heatwave conditions over the next seven days.

“Maximum temperature may rise by 2-3°C over the next three days, followed by a fall of 1-2°C. Maximum temperatures are likely to remain above normal during this period,” an IMD official said.

According to the IMD, a heatwave is classified when the maximum temperature is at least 4.5° above normal and crosses 40°C or if it touches 45°C or more.

Heatwaves in Delhi are typically recorded between April and early June. Last April saw three such days, while April 2022 recorded 11 heatwave days.

The department forecast maximum temperatures between 39°C and 41°C on Thursday, and around 40-42°C from Friday to Sunday. The minimum temperature settled at 19.4°C, 2° below normal, and is likely to rise to around 24°C by Friday.

Meanwhile, Delhi’s air quality slipped to the ‘poor’ category, with the AQI recorded at 204, up from 167 a day earlier. It is likely to improve to the ‘moderate’ category on Thursday and Friday, before fluctuating between ‘moderate’ and ‘poor’ over the next six days, according to the Air Quality Early Warning System under the Union ministry of earth sciences.