New Delhi: Delhi reeled under a heatwave on Wednesday despite the India Meteorological Department predicting a brief respite from sweltering condition.
The maximum temperature at the Safdarjung Observatory — the capital’s base station — settled at 40.6 degrees Celsius, five notches higher than normal.
Another spell of heatwave is predicted to hit Delhi next week, starting April 18, the IMD said.
A heatwave scorched the capital for five days on the trot before cloudy weather brought the mercury down to 39.5 degrees Celsius on Tuesday.
The maximum temperature in the city is predicted to remain below the 40-degree mark on Thursday. Thereafter, it will gradually increase to 42 degrees Celsius by April 18.
The IMD had earlier said the maximum temperature in Delhi is predicted to remain below the 40-degree mark till Friday. It will gradually increase to 42 degrees Celsius by Monday. No heatwave is predicted in the national for the next five to six days, it had said.
The Safdarjung Observatory had recorded a maximum temperature of 42.6 degrees Celsius on Monday, the highest in April in five years.
The capital had recorded a maximum temperature of 43.2 degrees Celsius on April 21, 2017. The all-time high maximum temperature for the month was 45.6 degrees Celsius on April 29, 1941.
The weather department had earlier said northwest India and adjoining parts of central India are likely to see more intense and frequent heatwave conditions in April.
The capital has recorded six heatwave days so far in April this year, equalling the number of such days in April 2017, the IMD data showed.
For the plains, a heatwave is declared when the maximum temperature is over 40 degrees Celsius and at least 4.5 notches above normal.
A severe heatwave is declared if the departure from normal temperature is more than 6.4 notches, according to the IMD.
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