NEW DELHI: After a brief hiatus, heat wave conditions returned to some parts of the city on Friday with the mercury climbing up to 46.1 degrees C at the Najafgarh weather station. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an ‘orange’ alert for Saturday as ‘severe’ heat wave conditions are likely in many parts of the national capital.
The IMD had forecast ‘severe’ heat wave conditions from May 13-15. A ‘yellow’ alert has been issued for Sunday. On Friday, Safdarjung, Delhi’s base station recorded a maximum of 42.5 degrees C, three notches above normal while the minimum settled at 28.1 degrees C, three notches above normal.
Najafgarh was the hottest spot in the city with the weather station recording a maximum of 46.1 degrees C followed by Jafarpur at 45.6 degrees C and Mungeshpur 45.4 degrees C. Ayanagar recorded 44 degrees C while Pitampura 44.7 degrees C. Among the NCR states, Gurgaon was the hottest spot with 45.3 degrees C as the maximum temperature.
R K Jenamani, senior IMD scientist, said that the temperatures are soaring, as wind direction has switched to westerly, bringing in hot and dry winds from the west and northwest region which are reeling under heat wave conditions.
He added that the cyclone ‘Asani’ has weakened considerably and its impact on Delhi also reduced, which led to a rise in day temperatures. So far these moisture-laden winds were regulating the temperature but from Wednesday, wind speeds dropped. “This is why there was rise in temperature and the resurfacing of heat wave conditions over parts of Delhi-NCR,” he said.
So far this year, the highest maximum temperature recorded at Safdarjung has been 43.5°C, on three consecutive days of April 28, 29 and 30. The highest overall maximum temperature across Delhi was 47.1°C on April 30, at the Sports Complex station (Akshardham).