New Delhi: Monsoon is likely to hit the national capital in the next 72 hours, beginning with light showers on Tuesday night, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

The national capital reeled under heat wave conditions Monday, with the mercury breaching the 43-degree Celsius mark in some parts of the city, officials said.

The Weatherman said rain activity is likely to begin from Tuesday onwards.

Moisture-laden easterly winds will trigger rains in the city in the next three to four days, the weatherman said.

"Delayed onset of the easterly winds led to scant rainfall in June. We have them now and pre-monsoon rain activity is likely till July 4," an official said.

On Monday, the Safdarjung Observatory, which provides official figures for the city, recorded a high of 41.6 degrees Celsius, five notches more than normal and a low of 30.6 degrees Celsius. Humidity levels oscillated between 37 and 59 percent.

Recording just 6.6 mm rainfall against the normal of 64.1 mm, Delhi witnessed it's second driest June in 26 years.

The IMD said light rains were expected on Wednesday and Thursday after which the delayed monsoon will set in.

With the rains, there would be a slight dip in the temperature, said IMD's Kuldeep Srivastava.

The maximum temperature on Tuesday was recorded at 40 degrees Celsius and the minimum at 30 degrees Celsius.