NEW DELHI: Intense summer heat swept Delhi-NCR on Tuesday as the maximum temperature soared to 46°C at the Palam Observatory. This was six degrees above the normal average that stands at 40.3°C. Meanwhile, Safdarjung Observatory saw maximum temperature at 44°C, which was also four degrees above the mean. With Tuesday marked the warmest day of the year in Delhi, heat wave conditions are likely to continue for at least a week, said India Meteorological Department (IMD) officials. According to weather analysts, the next respite from excessive heat is likely only towards the end of May. "Wednesday is likely to see mercury around 44 to 45 degrees, however on Thursday (May 24), temperatures may slightly drop due to the possibility of trace rain. However, that would happen towards evening after maximum temperatures would have been recorded," IMD scientist Kuldeep Srivastava said.
The maximum temperature across Delhi would still hover around 40 to 43 degrees. The cause of the concern is the fact that we do not expect any relief in the next few days. According to IMD, mercury may increase further in the next 24-48 hours, bringing in no respite from extremely hot weather conditions. In fact, people are advised to stay hydrated and avoid from venturing out in the noon hours. With scorching heat, the threat of heat stroke looms large, particularly for elderly and children.
On Tuesday, at 46 degree Celsius, six notches above the season's average, Palam was the warmest region across the National Capital. Meanwhile, Ayanagar sizzled at 44.7 degrees, Ridge area at 44.3 degrees and Narela at 44.1 degree Celsius respectively. Gurugram sizzled at 44 degrees while Faridabad recorded 44.1 degrees Celsius. In Delhi, Monday's maximum temperature was 41.8 degree Celsius, two notches above the season's average, the minimum temperature was recorded at 25.5 degrees, average for the season.