NEW DELHI: The Safdarjung weather station, base station for Delhi, on Saturday recorded a maximum temperature of 42.4 degrees C, eight notches above normal — breaking a record for such a high temperature in the first fortnight of April in 72 years.
With the soaring temperature, the city also recorded the hottest day of the season in five years. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an ‘orange’ alert for Sunday as well.
Delhi Ridge and Yamuna Sports Complex were the hottest spot in Delhi recording 43.9 degrees C each. R K Jenamani, senior IMD scientist, said that Delhi has not recorded such high temperatures within the first 15 days of April over the last 72 years. “When we look at records from 1951 to 2022, this was the first time that Safdarjung recorded a high of 42.4 degrees C within the first 10 days of April. So far the record was only of 41.6 degrees C recorded on April 12 and 13 in 2010,” he said.
Weather officials said that with no rain in sight over the coming days and clear skies over the weekend, the mercury is likely to climb up further by 1-2 degrees C. While heatwave conditions are likely to persist till April 11, some clouds are likely to form on April 12-13, which may reduce the intensity of the heat.
IMD officials said a prolonged dry spell has led to “severe” hot weather conditions in northwest India. The weather department said northwest India and adjoining parts of central India are predicted to see more intense and frequent heatwave conditions in April.
Mahesh Palawat, vice-president (Meteorology And Climate Change), Skymet Weather, said it is an aberration that the maximum temperature has breached the 45-degree mark in parts of northwest India in the first 10 days of April.
According to IMD scientists, a heatwave is declared when the maximum temperature is over 40 degrees C and 4.5 notches above normal. A severe heatwave is when the temperature is above 40 degrees C.
IMD scientists further said that since 2010, the maximum temperature in April has breached 45 degrees C mark but not within the first 10 days of the month. Last year, the highest maximum recorded in April was 42.2 degrees C on April 29. In 2020, it was 42.1 degrees C on April 16 while in 2019 it was 42.1 degrees C on April 26.
Since 2011, the highest maximum for April is 43.2 degrees C recorded on April 21, 2017. The all-time record for the month is 45.6 degrees C, recorded on April 29, 1941.