New Delhi: The mercury in the Capital settled at 38.4 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, even as the weather office predicted dust storm or thunderstorm on May 4.
The relative humidity was recorded at 43 percent in the evening, according to the India Meteorological Department.
The maximum temperature on Tuesday was recorded at 38.4 degrees Celsius, with partly cloudy sky and possibility of development of thunder and lightning predicted on May 4, it said. The minimum temperature settled at 28.5 degrees Celsius, it said.
The minimum temperature in the Capital on Monday was recorded at 27.4 degrees Celsius, three notches above the season's average, while the maximum settled at 40.8 degrees Celsius, two notches above normal for this time of the year.
The Safdarjung Observatory — the capital's base station — had recorded a maximum temperature of 43.5 degrees Celsius, the highest on a day in April in 12 years, for three consecutive days ending Saturday.
The mercury had come down to 40.5 degrees Celsius Celsius on Sunday as easterly winds barrelled through the capital under the influence of a western disturbance.
The minimum and maximum temperatures on Wednesday are likely to settle at 27 and 40 degrees Celsius, respectively, according to IMD data. A western disturbance affecting northwest India has pulled the temperatures down by 3 to 4 degrees Celsius in the capital.
Another western disturbance is predicted on May 4 and 5. No heatwave is likely in the city for at least two to three days," an official had said on Monday.
The mercury is likely to hover around 40 degrees Celsius in the city till May 6.
The air quality index (AQI) of Delhi was recorded in the 'poor' category around 7 PM, data from CPCB showed.
Meanwhile, amid a drop in the maximum temperature over the past two days, Delhi on Tuesday witnessed a slight dip in its peak power demand that was recorded at 6,140 MW, discom officials said.
"Today's peak power demand was 6,140 MW, recorded shortly after midnight," the officials said.
On Monday, the peak power demand in Delhi was 6,194 MW at 3.34 pm, the highest ever for the first week of May. Later in the night at 11.30 pm, the peak power demand had clocked 6,247 MW, surpassing the peak power demand recorded in the afternoon.
The power demand had crossed the 6,000 MW mark for the first time in April. It was over 6,000 MW on several days in the last week of April amid a rise in maximum temperature.
The Delhi government expressed apprehensions about supply disruptions claiming a shortage of coal at thermal plants. The Centre has assured that discoms in Delhi will be provided power according to their per requirement.
In view of summer and high demand, the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission last week relaxed several provisions concerning short-term
power purchase to enable discoms in the capital to procure the available power without any loss of time.