At 42.8 degrees Celsius, Delhi records its hottest day of the year
A yellow alert had been issued for Saturday, and a similar warning remains in place for Sunday, advising caution due to isolated heatwave conditions. A heatwave is defined as a maximum temperature of 40°C or higher, with a deviation of 4.5 degrees Celsius to 6.4 degrees Celsius above normal.
Delhi experienced its hottest day of the year so far on Saturday, with the Safdarjung weather station recording 42.8 degrees Celsius. In fact, this was the highest temperature recorded in the national capital since April 28, 2022, when it had touched 43.5 degrees Celsius.
However, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast rain from Monday to Wednesday, which could offer some relief from the intense heat.
A yellow alert had been issued for Saturday, and a similar warning remains in place for Sunday, advising caution due to isolated heatwave conditions.
At Safdarjung, the city's reference weather station, the maximum temperature reached 42.8 degrees Celsius, 5.1 degrees Celsius above normal and 0.9 degrees Celsius higher than the previous day, meeting the criteria for a heatwave.
A heatwave is defined as a maximum temperature of 40 degrees Celsius or higher, with a deviation of 4.5 degrees Celsius to 6.4 degrees Celsius above normal.
Other areas also experienced heatwave conditions. Lodhi Road recorded a maximum of 42.6 degrees Celsius, 5.6 degrees Celsius above normal; Ridge recorded 44.5 degrees Celsius, 6.1 degrees Celsius above normal; and Ayanagar saw a minimum of 43.2 degrees Celsius, 4.8 degrees Celsius above normal.
Although the IMD had initially classified Friday as the first isolated heatwave of the season, it later clarified that Saturday marked the third consecutive day of heatwave conditions.
According to the IMD, a heatwave is declared when at least two weather stations meet the required criteria. The department explained that on Thursday, Rohtak in Haryana and Ridge in Delhi met the criteria, making it the first heatwave day.
The IMD has issued another yellow alert for Sunday, indicating the heatwave is likely to persist through the weekend. However, as easterly winds move in from the lower troposphere, the maximum temperature is expected to drop by Tuesday, with light rain forecast from Monday.
The MeT department predicts that from Monday to Wednesday, light rain, thunderstorms, and gusty winds may bring some respite. By the end of the week, the maximum temperature is expected to fall to 38-40 degrees Celsius, and the minimum temperature should remain around 25-27 degrees Celsius.
Meanwhile, Delhi's air quality index (AQI) at 4 pm on Saturday stood at 243, which is classified as 'poor' by the Central Pollution Control Board. This was a slight increase from Friday's AQI of 226.
According to the pollution board's guidelines, an AQI between 201-300 is considered 'poor,' with the Air Quality Early Warning System forecasting an improvement to 'moderate' in the coming days.
(With inputs from PTI)