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Yellow alert in parts of Delhi today after mercury passes 44° in some areas
The day's high settled at 46.7 degrees Celsius at the Sports Complex automatic weather station near the Akshardham temple, making it the hottest place in the city.
As an intense heatwave continues to sweep through the city, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Sunday issued a yellow alert warning in parts of Delhi for Monday. The national capital on Sunday had recorded a maximum temperature of 43.9 degree Celsius, according to the Safdarjung Observatory. This was four notches above normal.
The day's high settled at 46.7 degrees Celsius at the Sports Complex automatic weather station near the Akshardham temple, making it the hottest place in the city. Najafgarh, Mungeshpur, Pitampura, and Ridge stations recorded the day's high oat 46.4 degrees Celsius, 46.2 degrees Celsius, 45.8 degrees Celsius and 45.8 degrees Celsius, respectively.
The intense heatwave has been majorly a result of the lack of strong western disturbances, according to weather experts. The incessant hot and dry westerly winds are also contributing to it, news agency PTI reported.
A major respite from the scorching heat is likely later this week - from June 15-16 - as the weather office predicts moderate rain with thunderstorms over northern parts of the country including the national capital. "Scattered to fairly widespread light or moderate rainfall with thunderstorm or lightning very likely over Jammu, Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit- Baltistan and Muzaffarabad, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and East Uttar Pradesh and isolated to scattered rainfall over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi on 15th & 16th June," the IMD stated on Sunday weather bulletin.
The IMD issues four types of colour coded warnings -- green, yellow, orange and red. The green alert essentially means no warning as the maximum and minimum temperatures are within normal range. Yellow alert is an advisory to look at forecast before heading out. It is also for city administrators to "stay updated" about weather events that can potentially affect daily life.
Orange alert is a call to take extra precautions. The red alert is issued in extreme heat conditions. When a red alert is issued, residents are advised to not step out of the house without sufficient preparations.
A heatwave is declared when the maximum temperature is over 40 degrees Celsius and at least 4.5 notches above normal. A severe heatwave is declared if the departure from normal temperature is more than 6.4 notches, according to the IMD.
(With agency inputs)
