Temperature soars, hits 40 degrees in parts of Delhi

The normal maximum temperature, calculated as a long period average, for this time of the year is 36.1 degrees, India Meteorological Department (IMD) data shows.

The nights are also warmer now than they were in the first week of April. The minimum temperature recorded early on Friday was 20.4 degrees Celsius, which is around the normal for this time of the year, and a few notches above the 15.7 degrees recorded on April 10.

The IMD forecast indicates that the maximum temperature at Safdarjung on Friday is likely to be around 39 degrees Celsius. This is set to rise to 40 degrees on Saturday and further to 41 degrees on Sunday and Monday.

Some respite is likely next week with light rainfall on the forecast for Delhi on April 19 and 20. Rainfall and cloudy skies could bring the maximum temperature back down to around 37 degrees by April 20, the forecast indicates.

In a bulletin issued on Friday, the IMD said that maximum temperatures over northwest India are likely to rise by 2 to 3 degrees over the next two days with no significant change thereafter. From April 19 to 21, the forecast points to the possibility of light to moderate rainfall over the western Himalayan region and isolated light rainfall over the plains of northwest India, with a western disturbance affecting the region.

No heatwave conditions are on the forecast for northwest India till April 26, going by the IMD’s extended range forecast.

With rainfall hitting the plains of northwest India in March and the first week of April this year, the maximum temperature in Delhi has been slower to rise in April compared to last summer when the temperature had hit 42.6 degrees by April 12.