NEW DELHI: The national capital recorded its warmest July day and night in two years on Thursday, with temperatures soaring well above normal and the heat index touching 48°C, according to the India Meteorological
Department (IMD).
The maximum temperature settled at 39.2°C, which was 4°C above the seasonal average, while the minimum temperature was 30.2°C, around 3°C above normal. At 2.30 pm, the city’s heat index, or ‘feels-like’ temperature, reached 48°C due to the combination of high temperatures and humidity.
According to IMD data, Delhi last recorded higher July temperatures in 2024, when the maximum reached 39.3°C and the minimum stood at 30.4°C, as reported by The Times of India.
Hot And Humid Conditions To Continue
The IMD has forecast that hot and humid weather is likely to persist until Saturday, with relief expected from Saturday evening as light rainfall is likely to begin.
The weather department defines hot and humid conditions as a situation where the maximum temperature remains at least 3°C above normal, accompanied by above-normal relative humidity.
A Met official said there is no significant change expected in maximum temperatures over the next two days, after which temperatures are likely to fall by 3°C to 5°C.
Rain Likely Till July 22
The IMD has predicted that the maximum temperature will remain between 38°C and 40°C on Friday before dropping to around 35°C to 37°C on Saturday. By July 22, the daytime temperature is expected to decline further to 32°C to 34°C.
The minimum temperature is expected to remain between 28°C and 30°C on Saturday before falling to around 22°C to 25°C by July 22.
The weather department has also forecast very light to light rainfall from Saturday evening through July 22, which is expected to bring some relief from the prevailing heat.
Rainfall Still Below Normal
Despite the possibility of rain in the coming days, Delhi continues to record below-normal rainfall this month.
So far in July, the Safdarjung weather station, considered the city’s base observatory, has recorded 132.2 mm of rainfall, compared with the month’s normal average of 209.7 mm.
Air Quality Remains Moderate
Meanwhile, Delhi’s air quality remained in the ‘moderate’ category on Thursday, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) rising to 176 from 136 a day earlier.
Among all monitoring stations, Anand Vihar recorded the poorest air quality, with an AQI of 355, placing it in the ‘poor’ category.
