Delhi's 'feels like' temperature, or heat index, soared to a scorching 48.4 degrees Celsius on Saturday, making the city feel much hotter than the actual maximum temperature of 41.3 degrees Celsius, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
Temperature Readings Across Delhi
Safdarjung, the city's base weather station, recorded a minimum temperature of 30.8 degrees Celsius, which is 2.9 degrees above normal and 2.1 degrees higher than the previous day. The maximum temperature was 41.3 degrees Celsius, 4.1 degrees above normal and 0.2 degree lower than Friday's reading.
Other weather stations also reported elevated minimum temperatures. Palam recorded a minimum of 28.4 degrees Celsius, 0.9 degree higher than the previous day, while Lodhi Road recorded 29.8 degrees Celsius, up by 2.4 degrees. Ridge and Ayanagar recorded minimum temperatures of 26.8 degrees Celsius and 29.3 degrees Celsius, respectively. Maximum temperatures remained largely unchanged across most stations.
Rainfall and Yellow Alert
According to the IMD, trace rainfall was recorded in parts of Delhi during the early hours of Saturday, but no further rain occurred during the day. The IMD has issued a yellow alert for Tuesday and Wednesday, forecasting rain and thunderstorms.
“There is a possibility of very light to light rain in the coming days, with weather conditions intensifying on Tuesday and Wednesday, when a yellow alert has been issued,” an IMD official said.
The official added, “On Sunday, partly cloudy skies are expected to persist and there is possibility of thundry development towards afternoon or evening. Strong surface winds of 20-30 kmph, occasionally gusting to 40 kmph during the day are also expected.”
Outlook for the Week
According to the IMD forecast, the maximum temperature is likely to remain between 39 and 41 degrees Celsius on Sunday before dropping to 35-37 degrees Celsius by Wednesday. The minimum temperature is expected to hover between 28 and 30 degrees Celsius on Sunday.
