With the wet spell over northwest India likely to end on Saturday, the temperature is set to rise in Delhi over the week ahead. Overcast skies and light rainfall or a drizzle are on the forecast for Delhi on Saturday as well on account of a western disturbance that lies over Iran and adjoining Afghanistan. The week ahead, however, is likely to remain dry, going by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast. On Saturday, the maximum temperature is likely to settle at around 36 degrees Celsius, according to the IMD forecast. This is set to rise to around 39 degrees Celsius by May 12, and clear skies are likely to persist over the week ahead, the forecast indicates. Cloudy skies and rainfall meant that the maximum temperature remained below normal on all days this week. Over the past 24 hours too, the maximum and minimum temperatures have remained below normal. The minimum temperature early on Saturday was 21 degrees Celsius, four notches below the normal, while the maximum temperature on Friday was 34 degrees Celsius, five degrees below the normal for this time of the year. An IMD bulletin issued on Saturday said that the maximum temperatures are very likely to increase and become near normal over northwest India by May 7. Northwest India is likely to see a 3 to 5-degree rise in maximum temperature over the next two days, according to the bulletin. No heatwave conditions are expected over the country in the next five days. While the maximum temperature is likely to range from 36 to 39 degrees over the week ahead, the minimum temperature could range from 18 to 23 degrees. The IMD forecast points to the likelihood of a cyclonic storm developing in the Bay of Bengal next week. The bulletin issued on Saturday said that a cyclonic circulation is likely to develop over the southeast Bay of Bengal during the next 24 hours, and this could concentrate into a depression by May 8. It is then likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm. The IMD has not yet provided details of the intensity and path of the cyclone.
