New Delhi: Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) witnessed the warmest day of the season so far in terms of areas experiencing heatwave to severe heatwave and eight of the 12 stations in the region reported a maximum temperature of 43 degrees Celsius and above on Tuesday, the India Meteorological Department said.
The unabated heatwave consequently pushed the power demand in Delhi to 5,735 MW on Tuesday, the highest ever in April, discom officials said. The previous high was recorded at 5,664 MW on April 30, 2019, they said.
"The unabated heatwave in the national capital continues to push the power demand to newer highs. At 3:30 pm on Tuesday, Delhi's peak power demand touched 5,735 MW, the highest ever in the month of April," officials said.
This is an increase of over 28 percent from April 1, when the city's peak power demand had clocked 4,469 MW. The peak power demand was 5,641 MW on Monday.
Delhi's peak power demand in April so far has crossed the 5,000 MW-mark on nine days vis- -vis zero days in 2021 and 2020. In 2019, it had crossed 5000 MW on seven days in April, they said.
On Tuesday, sports complex weather station recorded a maximum temperature of 45 degrees Celsius, the IMD said.
The national capital on Tuesday recorded its maximum temperature at 42.6 degree Celsius, six notches above the season's average. This is the highest temperature of the season and the city also recorded a maximum of 42.6 degrees Celsius on April 11, it said.
The minimum temperature of the national capital settled at 23.7 degrees Celsius, two notches above the season's average. The humidity oscillated between 31 per cent and 17 per cent, it said.
With record seven days of heatwave, it is also considered to be one of the warmest April in Delhi. However, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted that the heatwave condition is likely to abate due to an approaching western disturbance, wind conditions and cloudiness over the region.
The IMD also predicted that light isolated rainfall is likely to occur in the national capital till April 22 and strong dust-raising winds (speed reaching between 25-35 kmph) very likely on April 19 and
April 20.
The weather office has predicted generally cloudy sky with light rain or drizzle. The maximum and minimum temperature will settle around 41 and 24 degree Celsius respectively.