New Delhi: The heatwave which has been sweltering Delhi for the past two days is predicted to worsen today with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issuing an ‘orange’ alert for the city. As per the IMD forecast, the temperatures may soar up to 46 to 47 degrees Celsius in parts of the city. The maximum temperature at the Safdarjung Observatory, Delhi’s base station is predicted to settle at 44 degrees Celsius against 42.5 degrees Celsius on Friday, news agency PTI reported.
On Friday, Delhi recorded the highest temperature of 46.1 degrees Celsius at Najafgarh. And the weather stations at Jafarpur and Mungeshpur recorded maximum temperatures of 45.6 degrees Celsius and 45.4 degrees Celsius respectively, six notches above the normal temperature for this time of the year.
Next in the queue was Pitampura with a temperature of 44.7 degrees Celsius.
The IMD has issued a ‘yellow’ alert to caution people about the heatwave on Sunday.
As per a report by PTI, cloudy skies and thunder may provide some relief from the scorching heat next week. This is the fifth heatwave of this season with one in March and three in April.
Amidst the soaring temperatures and scanty rainfall, Delhi recorded the second hottest April this year since 1951 with a monthly average temperature of 40.2 degrees Celsius. By the end of the month, a heatwave led the temperatures to touch 46 and 47 degrees Celsius in several parts of the city.
In April, Delhi received a miniscule rainfall of 0.3 mm against a monthly average of 12.2 mm. March received no rainfall against a normal of 15.9 mm. Owing to the situation, the IMD had predicted above-normal temperatures in May.