Delhi saw temperatures above normal on Monday, with the mercury rising up to 4 degrees Celsius above average at all stations, though the India Meteorological Department (IMD) stopped short of declaring a heatwave and indicated a marginal decline with light rain from Tuesday.
Safdarjung, the city’s primary station, recorded a maximum temperature of 42.3 degrees Celsius, 3.3 degrees Celsius above normal, while the temperature at Ridge station in north Delhi reached 43.8 degrees Celsius, 4.3 degrees Celsius above average. Despite the rise, no station met heatwave criteria, similar to conditions on Sunday.
However, after a hot day, weather conditions changed by the evening, with a dust storm sweeping through the capital between 8pm and 9pm. At around 7pm, the IMD issued a warning for gusty winds and possible light rain, although no rainfall was recorded until late Monday. The wind speed peaked at 61 kmph in Pragati Maidan, followed by 54 kmph in Pusa, an IMD official said.
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The Meteorological Department expected the weather today, Tuesday, to be partly cloudy, with the possibility of rain in isolated parts of the city. A yellow alert was issued on Wednesday, with two spells of light rain and gusty winds of up to 50km/h expected, with maximum temperatures likely to reach below 40C.
“Temperatures are likely to fall from Tuesday, with very light rain likely on Tuesday and light rain on Wednesday. The maximum should return to near normal and even below normal by Thursday,” a Meteorological Department official said.
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The marginal cooling trend is expected to continue through Thursday, with daytime temperatures likely to range between 39°C and 41°C until at least May 3, officials said. The city recorded heatwave conditions for three consecutive days between Thursday and Saturday. While isolated heatwave conditions were observed in pockets on Thursday and Friday, a city-wide heatwave was declared on Saturday – the hottest day of the year so far – when Ridge Station recorded 44.5°C and Safdarjung touched 42.8°C.
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The IMD declares a heatwave when the maximum temperature is at least 4.5 degrees above normal and exceeds 40 degrees Celsius; It is also declared if the maximum touches 45°C or more. No station met these criteria on Monday, as on Sunday. On Saturday, four stations met these criteria; Two on Friday and one on Thursday.
Mahesh Palawat, vice president of Skymet, said the expected rains were likely due to the cyclone rotating over central Pakistan and neighboring northwest Rajasthan. “On Monday, we have already seen some rain in Rajasthan and it will move to Delhi, via Haryana, by Tuesday. More rain is likely on Wednesday and the remnants of this wave are likely to remain on Thursday as well. In addition to the cyclonic circulation, the Arabian Sea is also feeding some moisture and the rain will bring temperatures below 40 degrees Celsius again,” he said, adding that there is a possibility of more pre-monsoon rains on May 5 as well.
Heat waves in April are not uncommon in Delhi. The city recorded three such days between April 7 and 9 last year. In April 2022, there were as many as 11 days of heat waves, while April 2017 saw four days and April 2016 recorded one day. The IMD declares a city-wide heatwave only when Safdarjung is among at least two stations that meet the criteria.
