Delhi is likely to remain under intense heat through Wednesday, with maximum temperatures forecast between 42 degrees Celsius and 44 degrees Celsius before thunderstorms and rain bring relief later this week, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Tuesday.
A fresh western disturbance is expected to affect northwest India from June 11, triggering thunderstorms, lightning, gusty winds and light rainfall over the national capital. Under its influence, daytime temperatures in Delhi are forecast to fall by 7-8 degrees Celsius by June 12, while minimum temperatures could drop by 4-5 degrees Celsius.
The weather office has forecast partly cloudy skies over Delhi on Tuesday and Wednesday, with surface winds of 20-30 kilometres per hour gusting up to 40 kph. Thunderstorms are also possible during the afternoon or evening on Wednesday.
Delhi is expected to receive very light to light rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms and winds of 40-50 kph, gusting up to 60 kph, on June 11 and 12. Maximum temperatures are forecast to fall to 38-40 degrees Celsius on Wednesday and further to 34-36 degrees Celsius on Thursday.
The expected change in weather comes as the southwest monsoon continues to advance across parts of the country. According to the IMD, conditions are favourable for further advancement of the monsoon into additional parts of the central Arabian Sea, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, the Bay of Bengal and parts of eastern and northeastern India over the next two to three days although northwest India, including Delhi, is still awaiting its seasonal rains.
Safdarjung, Delhi’s base weather station, on Monday recorded a maximum temperature of 42.2 degrees Celsius, 2.2 degrees above normal, while the minimum temperature stood at 29.2 degrees Celsius, 1.6 degrees above normal. No rainfall was recorded during the preceding 24 hours.
Among other monitoring stations, Ridge recorded the city’s highest maximum temperature at 43.4 degrees Celsius, followed by Lodhi Road at 42.6 degrees Celsius and Palam at 41.8 degrees Celsius.
