New Delhi: After shattering all records in Delhi on Monday, the mercury is expected to remain at 46 degrees Celsius in the national capital today, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. Delhi yesterday registered 48 degrees Celsius, the highest for the month of June. Predicting no immediate relief from the ongoing severe heat wave conditions over Delhi-NCR during the next 24 hours, the weatherman said there will be a minor drop in temperature today due the southwesterly winds, however, the heatwave will persist. "We issued a red alert this morning for Delhi. People can expect some decline in temperature only from June 12," reports quoted IMD scientist Devendra Pradhan as saying.

Meanwhile, a dust storm is expected to hit the national capital in the afternoon, MeT officials said, as the city witnessed a cloudy sky on the Tuesday morning. The minimum temperature was recorded at 30.4 degrees Celsius, two notches above the season's average. Besides, thunderstorm with light rainfall or very light rainfall has been forecast for areas in north-west Delhi and south-west Delhi.

Also, in a surprise to the Delhiites, light rain earlier in the day brought some relief from the scorching heat to people who had to venture out for work.

Hot dry winds- loo - swept the city, aggravating the woes of people of the city on Monday. There is a rise in the number of patients visiting emergency wards at AIIMS and Safdarjung too, doctors said. At various Delhi government-run hospitals too, more patients are coming with heat-related complications but nothing worrisome so far, doctors added. Power discom officials said that due to the oppressive heat, the peak power demand rose to 6,632 MW at 3.42 PM on Monday.

Severe cyclonic storm likely to hit Gujarat on June 12 night

Meanwhile, IMD said a severe cyclonic storm is likely to hit Gujarat on Wednesday night with a wind speed of 130-140 kilometres per hour. The Cyclone Warning Division of the IMD said the deep depression over east-central and adjoining Southeast Arabian Sea and Lakshadweep lays centred at about 320 km northwest of Aminidivi (Lakshadweep), 680 km south-southwest of Mumbai (Maharashtra) and 840 km south-southeast of Veraval (Gujarat). "It is very likely to intensify further into a Cyclonic Storm during next 12 hours and into a Severe Cyclonic Storm in subsequent 24 hours. "It is very likely to move nearly northward and cross Gujarat coast between Porbandar and Mahuva around Veraval and Diu region as a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm with wind speed 130-140 kmph gusting to 155 kmph during midnight of June 12," the Cyclone Warning Division bulletin said.

Heatwave persists in Rajasthan; Churu hottest at 50.3 deg C

Severe heatwave conditions persisted in parts of Rajasthan on Monday, with Churu being the hottest place in the state where the mercury touched 50.3 degrees Celsius, a Meteorological (Met) Department official said. Most of the cities witnessed temperatures above 45 degrees Celsius, he added. Churu was followed by Sriganganagar at 48.5 degrees Celsius, Bikaner 47.4 degrees Celsius, Kota 47.3 degrees Celsius and Jaipur at 46.3 degrees Celsius, the weather office said.

Mumbai gets pre-monsoon showers

Mumbai and suburbs witnessed pre-monsoon showers Monday night, bringing people some respite from sweltering heat. It is the first pre-monsoon showers in the south Mumbai region, said an IMD official. Eastern parts of the city have already witnessed light showers and drizzle. Areas like Colaba in south Mumbai, western suburbs of Santacruz, Malad, Kandivali and Borivali along with Kurla, Ghatkopar and Vikroli also received good spells of showers, accompanied by thunder and lightning.

(With inputs from PTI)