Mercury soars to 480 Celsius; highest temperature in June

NEW DELHI: Mercury touched 48 degrees Celsius in Delhi's Palam area on Monday - creating a record high for the national Capital in June -- as north India struggles under an unrelenting heat wave. The temperature, however, was lower at Safdarjung, roughly 14 kms away. The temperature recorded there was 45.6 degrees Celsius.

"It was 48 degrees at Palam, an all-time high. The earlier high was 47.8 degrees Celsius recorded on June 9, 2014," Mahesh Palawat of Skymet said. The all-time record for Delhi is that of 48.4 degrees Celsius, recorded on May 26, 1998. In May 2016, Phalodi in Rajasthan recorded India's highest-ever temperature of 51 Celsius (123.8 Fahrenheit).

Some relief is expected only after Tuesday night as the Indian Meteorological Office has predicted thunderstorm with "gusty winds".

IMD scientist Devendra Pradhan said, "We issued a red alert this morning for Delhi. People can expect some decline in temperature only from June 12."

The heatwave is declared when the temperature remains at 45 degrees and above for two days running. It gets the 'severe' tag when mercury touches 47. The temperature of 48 and above has been mostly recorded in Rajasthan this summer -- Churu has been the hottest place for days.

On Monday last week, 11 of the 15 hottest places in the world were in India, the rest were in neighbouring Pakistan, weather monitoring website El Dorado reported. The pattern of frequent heat waves in the country is part of the climate change that is making itself felt across the globe.

Last year was the sixth-warmest since 1901, when preserving weather records started in the country. Since 2004, the country has experienced 11 of the 15 warmest years.

Meanwhile, Skymet Weather, a private weather forecasting agency said that the national Capital recorded the highest temperature in the month of June on Monday.

"Delhi records the highest temperature in history. Sets an all-time record at 48°C. This is the hottest ever in June," it said in a tweet. Several states across the country have been reeling under severe heat wave conditions for the past few months, prompting the weather department to issue a red warning.

The IMD, on Sunday, said that there would be no respite from the blistering heat for the next two days as the temperature in Delhi is expected to soar beyond 45-degree mark. On Sunday, Delhi recorded a record-high temperature of 46.2 degrees Celsius. "Mainly clear sky. Heatwave conditions likely at many places with the severe heat wave at isolated pockets," the IMD had said on Sunday.

"Heatwave conditions were observed in many places in isolated pockets over Delhi, south Uttar Pradesh, East Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Chandigarh, and Saurashtra," it added