new Delhi: The India Meteorological Department said that parts of Delhi were witnessing heatwave on Monday with maximum temperatures exceeding the 40-degree mark at four places.
The Safdarjung Observatory recorded a temperature of 38.1 degrees Celsius, five notches above normal. News agency PTI reported that the lowest temperature was recorded at 19 degrees Celsius.
Although the sky is expected to be partly cloudy on Tuesday, but there is no significant relief in sight.
According to IMD officials, the prolonged dry spell has led to “extremely” hot weather conditions across Northwest India.
In its report, the IMD official was quoted by PTI as saying, “Heavy heat wave conditions are likely to prevail over most parts of Northwest India and Madhya Pradesh during the next five days and over Gujarat during the next two days.”
When the maximum temperature exceeds 40 °C and is at least 4.5 °C above normal, a “heatwave” is declared in the plains. According to the IMD, a “severe” heatwave is declared when the temperature exceeds normal by 6.4 degrees Celsius.
Four weather stations in Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of over 40 degrees Celsius. Ridge, Najafgarh, Pitampura and Sports Complex stations recorded 40.2 degrees Celsius, 40.6 degrees Celsius and 40.7 degrees Celsius, respectively.
The hot weather has been linked by experts to a lack of rainfall caused by dry westerly winds. For the first time since 2018, Delhi did not receive rain in March. It receives 15.9 mm of rain in a normal month.
On Wednesday last week, the Safdarjung Observatory recorded a maximum temperature of 39.6 degrees Celsius, the highest so far in the season.
According to the IMD, the maximum temperature at the base station is expected to reach 40°C on April 6 and 42°C on April 9.
A devastating heatwave in March scorched vast areas of India, making it the country’s hottest march in 122 years.
The extreme heat was attributed by the Meteorological Service to the absence of a strong Western Disturbance over North India and the lack of rainfall caused by any major system in South India.
Overall, the country received 8.9 mm of rain, which was 71% less than the long period average of 30.4 mm. This was the third lowest rainfall in March since 1901, after just 7.2 mm in 1909 and 8.7 mm in 1908.
“All over the country, the average maximum temperature (33.10 degree Celsius) recorded in March 2022 is the highest in the last 122 years,” the IMD said.
The country’s highest temperature was 33.09 °C in March 2010.
(with PTI inputs)