IMD issues Yellow alert as city braces for extreme heat

New Delhi: Amid a punishing heatwave building up in northwest India, Delhi saw a jump of two to three degrees Celsius in the maximum temperature at most places on Wednesday.

The Safdarjung Observatory — Delhi's base station — recorded a maximum temperature of 41.5 degrees Celsius as against 40.8 degrees Celsius on Tuesday. Pitampura (43.6 degrees Celsius) and Mungeshpur (44.1 degrees Celsius) reeled under a heatwave.

The weather stations at Najafgarh, Ridge, and Sports Complex recorded their maximum temperature at 43.7 degrees Celsius, 43.6 degrees Celsius, and 44.2 degrees Celsius, respectively.

The mercury at the Safdarjung Observatory is expected to breach the 43-degree mark on Thursday and touch 44 degrees Celsius by Friday, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

The maximum temperature may even leap to 46 degrees Celsius in parts of Delhi, a Met department official said.

The Capital had recorded a maximum temperature of 43.2 degrees Celsius on April 21, 2017. The all-time high maximum temperature for the month was 45.6 degrees Celsius on April 29, 1941.

Northwest India has been recording higher than normal temperatures since March last week, with weather experts attributing it to the absence of active western disturbances over north India and any major system over south India.

The region had got some respite last week owing to cloudy weather due to the influence of a western disturbance over Afghanistan.

A yellow alert warning has been issued for a heatwave spell in the national capital starting April 28.

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).