Pre-monsoon showers lash city, max temp touches 39.80C

Pre-monsoon showers drenched the national Capital on Thursday bringing much needed respite from the sticky heat and which led to a fall in mercury. Safdarjung observatory, figure of which is considered the official figure for the city, recorded a maximum temperature of 39.8 degrees Celsius, three notches above the season’s average while the minimum temperature settled at 30.6 degrees, also three notches above the normal, said a Met department official.

“These were pre monsoon showers. Monsoon rains are likely to hit the city in the next 48 to 72 hours,” said a senior Met Department official. Palam registered a maximum temperature of 40.4 degrees. The humidity level oscillated between 79 and 45 per cent.

The Met Office has predicted overcast conditions along with the possibility of rain for Friday.

“The skies will be partly cloudy. There is likelihood of rain accompanied by thunderstorm in the evening on Friday. The maximum and minimum temperatures are likely to settle at around 39 and 29 degrees Celsius,” the weatherman said.

On Thursday, the maximum temperature was recorded at 39.4 degrees Celsius while the minimum settled at 27.2 degrees.