It's 49 Degrees! Delhi Sizzles Under Furnace-Like Temp; Relief on Monday as IMD Predicts Dust Storm

Delhi-NCR broiled as a scorching heatwave in North India drove maximum temperature to breach the 49-degree Celsius mark on Sunday. Mungeshpur in northwest Delhi recorded maximum temperature at 49.2 degrees Celsius while it was 49.1 degrees Celsius in southwest Najafgarh. Sports Complex as well as Gurugram, too, burned at a temperature above 48 degrees Celsius.

Maximum temperatures in the national capital and surrounding areas reached unbearable highs of 47.5 degrees Celsius at Jafarpur, 47.3 degrees Celsius at Pitampura and 47.2 degrees Celsius at Ridge. On Saturday, the India Meteorological Department had issued an orange alert for the national capital to denote severe conditions while saying the heatwave was likely to worsen.

At 48.1 degrees Celsius, Gurugram recorded the highest maximum temperature since May 10, 1966, when the city logged 49 degrees. According to the Met, in many parts of the northern and northwestern India, temperatures have reached and, at some place, crossed 45 degrees Celsius. At Delhi’s base station in Safdarjung observatory, maximum temperature rose to 45.6 degrees Celsius, five notches above normal and the highest this year so far. The primary weather station recorded a maximum temperature of 44.2 degrees on Saturday and 42.5 degrees on Friday.

Relief on the way

But, according to the weather department, relief from the intense heat is on the way. A cyclonic circulation over Punjab and Haryana will induce pre-monsoon activity on Monday and Tuesday. A thunderstorm or a dust storm is likely in the national capital on Monday.

The IMD had predicted above-normal temperatures in May after Delhi recorded its second hottest April this year since 1951. A heatwave at the end of that month sent temperatures soaring to 46 and 47 degrees Celsius. Delhi received minimum precipitation at 0.3 mm in April against a monthly average of 12.2 mm. There was no rainfall against a normal of 15.9 mm.

The Met declares a heatwave when maximum temperature crosses 40 degrees Celsius and is at least 4.5 notches above normal. A severe heatwave is declared if departure is over 6.4 notches. Based on absolute recorded temperatures, a heatwave is declared when an area logs a maximum temperature of 45 degrees Celsius. A severe heatwave is declared if temperature crosses the 47-degree Celsius mark.

(With PTI inputs)

Read all the Latest India News here