NEW DELHI: Delhi continued to sizzle on Thursday with temperatures staying well above seasonal norms and weather models predicting more intense heat over the next few days. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported that maximum temperatures across the national capital hovered between 41 and 43 degrees Celsius, with Safdarjung, the city’s base station, recording 41.2 degrees, 3.5 degrees above normal.
Minimum temperatures ranged between 18 degrees and 24 degrees, slightly below normal in several locations.
There was no rainfall recorded across any of the city’s weather stations over the last 24 hours. The humidity dipped as low as 13%, adding to discomfort levels. Winds from the northwest and southwest blew at speeds of up to 20 km/h, occasionally gusting to 30 km/h in parts of the city, but did little to temper the day’s heat.
The IMD has predicted heatwave conditions for Friday and Saturday, with maximum temperatures expected to rise to 43 degrees in several parts of Delhi. Conditions will remain dry with clear to partly cloudy skies. The heatwave alert extends across all districts, including North, South, East and Central Delhi, as well as satellite towns like Noida, Ghaziabad, Faridabad, and Gurgaon.
A slight dip in temperatures is expected from Sunday, but they are likely to stay in the high 30s to low 40s well into next week. While the IMD has ruled out any rain, it anticipates some temporary cloud cover starting Saturday, which may provide relief during the evenings.