The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has updated its forecast for Delhi and issued a red alert for Thursday.
Parts of Delhi sweltered on Wednesday under conditions that felt like 50.8°C at 2.30pm and 51.9°C at 5.30pm. Some neighbourhoods endured a heatwave for the third day, reports Times of India.
The weather department has extended the heatwave warning for two more days, till June 13.
A spike in humidity has worsened the weather conditions, increasing discomfort outdoors. The maximum temperature at the city's base station, Safdarjung, was 43.3°C, three notches above normal. It was 43.8°C a day earlier.
The humidity also spiked, oscillating between 73% and 31%. The city received north and north-easterly winds reaching 10kmph at their peak. A large part of north-west India, including Delhi, is currently suffering from an extreme heat crisis.
IMD expects “heatwave conditions at many places.” A yellow alert has been issued for Friday, June 13, which could see “heatwaves in isolated places.”
The IMD has also forecast rain and thunderstorms on Friday, with gusty winds reaching up to 60kmph.
Weather analysts expect respite from June 13 onwards, as the city may see thunderstorms and rain due to the confluence of moisture-laden winds from the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea.
“Heatwave conditions have been observed over many places in west Rajasthan, Punjab, Jammu-Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, south Haryana-Delhi, and in isolated places over east Rajasthan and south Uttar Pradesh. Severe heatwave conditions have been reported at isolated places over west Rajasthan, Punjab, and Jammu-Kashmir. From yesterday's three stations recording heatwave conditions, today one station, Ayanagar, reported heatwave conditions. Temperatures are likely to remain in a similar range until tomorrow and are likely to witness a gradual fall from June 13,” said Krishna Mishra, weather scientist, India Meteorological Department (IMD).
Among other hot areas of the city, Aya Nagar recorded 45 degrees Celsius, Palam recorded 44.5°C (4.3 notches above normal), and Lodhi Road recorded 43.4°C (4.4 notches above normal), respectively. IMD declares a heatwave when the maximum temperature is either 45°C or above, or when it is above 40°C with a departure of more than 4.5 notches above normal. By this definition, Aya Nagar recorded a heatwave, while Palam and Lodhi Road did not, by a slim margin.
According to the weather department, there is no significant change in the maximum temperature likely over northwest and central India during the next three days, with a gradual fall by 2-4°C thereafter. “Respite is expected from June 13 onwards, as the region will get moisture-laden winds from the southwest from the Arabian Sea and southeast winds from the Bay of Bengal, which will confluence over the plains of northwest India,” said Mishra.
The city's air quality remained poor. The air quality index (AQI) on Wednesday was 245, compared to 217 a day earlier.
