Heatwave to make a comeback on Friday, mercury to touch 42°C this weekend
India is staring down a punishing heatwave on Friday, with Delhi temperatures set to climb to 42 degrees Celsius and heatwave conditions expected from Saturday.
A woman shields herself and her child from the scorching Sun in Delhi as temperatures are set to climb to 42 degrees Celsius on May 15. (Photo: PTI)
If you were hoping Friday would bring some relief from the heat, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has bad news for you.
Starting May 15, temperatures in Delhi are expected to climb to between 40 and 42 degrees Celsius, with mainly clear skies offering no respite.
The brief spells of rain and thunder that battered the capital earlier this week are largely over for now.
In their place: a city baking under an unforgiving afternoon Sun, with no rain in sight.
IS DELHI IN A HEATWAVE?
Not quite yet, but very nearly. The IMD defines a heatwave as a condition where the maximum temperature at a station on the plains reaches 40 degrees Celsius or above and is also at least 4.5 degrees Celsius hotter than the historical average for that date.
In simple terms, it is not just about how hot it gets. It is about how much hotter than usual it feels.
Heatwave conditions are expected to grip isolated pockets across Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi from May 16 through May 20.
WHERE WILL IT BE THE HOTTEST IN INDIA ON MAY 15?
The worst conditions are expected across West Rajasthan, Vidarbha and West Madhya Pradesh, where temperatures could touch or even exceed 45 to 47 degrees Celsius.
These qualify as severe heatwave conditions. Jaisalmer in Rajasthan recently recorded 46.1 degrees Celsius, the highest in the country this season.
WILL ANYWHERE IN INDIA GET RAIN ON MAY 15?
The south is in luck. Kerala, Tamil Nadu and South Interior Karnataka can expect moderate to heavy pre-monsoon showers between May 15 and May 18.
Pre-monsoon showers are rain events driven by rising heat and moisture from the land. They are distinct from the organised monsoon system that arrives later in the season.
IS THE MONSOON ARRIVING SOON?
The southwest monsoon, the seasonal wind system that brings the bulk of India's annual rainfall, is edging closer.
Conditions are becoming favourable for its onset over the Andaman Sea and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands around May 16.
Mainland India will have to wait. The monsoon typically reaches Kerala only around June 1.
Until then, stay indoors during peak afternoon hours and drink plenty of fluids.
- Ends