NEW DELHI: As the mercury inched towards 45 degrees Celsius on Monday, the IMD has forecast persisting heatwave conditions in the capital this week, from May 19 to May 22.
For Tuesday, the IMD has issued a yellow alert for heatwave conditions within the city, and weather experts said the temperature may hit 45 degrees in the next two days.
The city recorded a warm Monday morning, with the minimum temperature settling above normal at most weather stations. According to the IMD, Delhi’s base station at Safdarjung logged a maximum temperature of 43.4°C. This was the hottest day in the month of May in two years.
“The northwesterly winds are sweeping into the capital from the Thar Desert region of Rajasthan and parts of central Pakistan. Travelling across vast arid stretches, these winds turn intensely dry by the time they reach Delhi, trapping heat close to the surface and sharply intensifying the searing conditions across the city,” said Mahesh Palawat of Skymet Weather.
There is no forecast of thunderstorms or pre-monsoon rainfall activity over the next 10 days, he said.
Meanwhile, the peak power demand in the capital soared to 7,542 megawatts, the highest so far this summer. This year, the peak power demand in Delhi is estimated to cross 9,000 MW.