New Delhi: Delhiites reeled under a severe heatwave on Friday, with the national capital registering a maximum temperature of 41.6 degrees Celsius, the highest so far this year, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
The Met Office has issued an orange alert, warning of a ‘severe heatwave’ in the national capital on Saturday as well, PTI reported.
For weather alerts, the IMD uses four colour codes: green (no action required), yellow (watch and remain informed), orange (be prepared), and red (take action).
Except for two, all automated weather stations in the city reported maximum temperatures over 42 degrees Celsius, according to IMD data.
The maximum temperature in most parts of Delhi was at least seven degrees higher than normal.
The maximum temperature recorded at the Safdarjung Observatory, which provides representative data for the city, was 41.6 degrees Celsius.
Maximum temperatures in Mungeshpur, Najafgarh, Pitampura, and Sports Complex were 43 degrees Celsius, 43.3 degrees Celsius, 43.4 degrees Celsius, and 43.9 degrees Celsius respectively.
The heatwave is expected to worsen in the coming days. According to the IMD, the maximum temperature in parts of Delhi might reach 42 degrees Celsius on Saturday.
Cloudy conditions may provide some reprieve from the suffocating heat on Tuesday, according to the forecast.
Since last week, parts of the national capital have been experiencing a heatwave, with maximum temperature hovering above 40 degrees Celsius.
According to IMD, a protracted dry spell has resulted in “extreme” hot weather conditions across northwest India.
According to the weather department, northwest India and adjoining parts of central India are predicted to see more intense and frequent heatwave conditions in April.
“The frequency of intense heatwave conditions will be higher in April as compared to March. We expect the heatwave conditions to continue till April 15 in some parts,” an official was quoted by PTI in its report.
Mahesh Palawat, Vice-President (Meteorology And Climate Change), Skymet Weather, said the maximum temperature breaking 45 degrees in regions of northwest India in the first ten days of April was an anomaly.
“There has been nil pre-monsoon activity, including dust storms and thundershowers, in the region so far. Long-range models have also not predicted any significant weather system in the next 15 days,” he said.
“There is a good chance that Delhi may record a higher-than-usual number of heatwave days in April,” he further said.
The capital has already had two heatwave days this month, and the current heatwave is expected to last another three to four days.
A ‘heatwave’ is declared in the plains when the maximum temperature is over 40 degrees Celsius and at least 4.5 notches above normal. A ‘severe heatwave’ is declared if the departure from normal temperature is more than 6.4 notches, according to the IMD.
This March was India’s hottest in 122 years, with a severe heatwave scorching significant swathes of the country throughout the month.
The weather department attributed the heat to the lack of rainfall due to the absence of active western disturbances over north India and any major system over south India.
The country as a whole recorded 8.9 mm of rainfall, which was 71 per cent less than its long period average rainfall of 30.4 mm. It was also the third-lowest precipitation in March since 1901 after 7.2 mm in 1909 and 8.7 mm in 1908.
(With PTI Inputs)