New Delhi, Jun 10 (PTI) Delhi continued to reel under intense heat on Wednesday, with the maximum temperature crossing 43 degrees Celsius at most weather stations, even as meteorologists forecast a significant increase in pre-monsoon activity from Thursday that could bring widespread rain and relief from the scorching conditions.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert with a forecast of very light to light rainfall and thunderstorm accompanied with lightning and gusty winds of speeds up to 40-50 kmph during the night.
Safdarjung, the city’s base weather station, recorded a maximum temperature of 42.4 degrees Celsius, 2.5 notches above normal. Palam and Ridge were the hottest locations, recording 43.6 degrees Celsius each,
3.4 degrees and 3.3 degrees above normal, respectively. Lodhi Road registered a maximum temperature of 42.4 degrees Celsius, 3.4 notches above normal, while Ayanagar recorded 43 degrees Celsius, 1.5 degrees above the seasonal average.
The national capital had begun the day on a relatively cooler note, with Safdarjung recording a minimum temperature of 22.9 degrees Celsius, 6.3 degrees below normal.
Despite the intense daytime heat, weather experts said the conditions were favourable for stronger pre-monsoon activity over the coming days.
Mahesh Palawat, Vice President (Meteorology and Climate Change) at Skymet Weather, said the gusty winds and isolated rain activity witnessed over the region were being driven by a cyclonic circulation over central Pakistan and adjoining areas.
He said pre-monsoon activity is expected to intensify from June 11 onwards, bringing fairly widespread rainfall across Delhi, Haryana and Punjab.
“The rain activity is likely to increase significantly and temperatures are expected to fall below the 40-degree Celsius mark over the next few days,” Palawat said.
Weather experts noted that a sharp rise in maximum temperatures beyond 42 degrees Celsius often precedes stronger pre-monsoon weather systems, which can trigger thunderstorms, gusty winds and widespread showers.
No rainfall was recorded at any of the city’s major weather stations between 8:30 am and 5:30 pm on Wednesday, according to IMD data.
Meanwhile, Delhi’s air quality remained in the “moderate” category. The Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 169, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
According to the CPCB, an AQI between 0 and 50 is considered “good”, 51 and 100 “satisfactory”, 101 and 200 “moderate”, 201 and 300 “poor”, 301 and 400 “very poor”, and 401 and 500 “severe”. PTI SSJ SAP SSJ SAP SAP
