NEW DELHI: Heatwave returns to parts of the national capital with the mercury climbing up to 45-46 degrees C on Saturday. After a week of respite from the scorching heat, it has again started taking a toll on those outdoors.
The minimum temperature in the national capital on Saturday settled at 28.7 degrees Celsius, a notch above normal, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. The maximum temperature is expected to touch 44 degrees Celsius, it said.
The hottest spots in Delhi where heatwave conditions were recorded on Saturday were Jafarpur with the maximum temperature settling at 45.7 degrees Celsius. Mungeshpur recorded a maximum temperature of 47.1 degrees Celsius. Other areas such as Najafgarh, Ridge and Pitampura recorded maximum temperatures of 46.2, 45.5 and 46.5 degrees Celsius respectively.
The city is likely to witness clear skies in the day and heatwave conditions are expected at a few places, the weather office said. The IMD has issued a yellow alert, warning of a heatwave at isolated places in the capital. The mercury may increase to 44 degrees Celsius at the Safdarjung observatory, it said.
The Safdarjung observatory, Delhi’s base station, had recorded a maximum temperature of 42.9 degrees Celsius on Friday.
The IMD uses four colour codes for weather warnings — green (no action needed), yellow (watch and stay updated), orange (be prepared) and red (take action). “Heatwave is back over parts of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, south Uttar Pradesh and isolated pockets of Delhi-NCR,” said Mahesh Palawat, vice president (climate change and meteorology), Skymet Weather. A heat wave is declared when the maximum temperature is over 40 degrees Celsius as per the IMD.