Delhi reeled under a heatwave spell for the third consecutive day on Wednesday in an unusual spike in temperatures for this time of year. With the minimum temperature setting at 25.6 degrees Celsius, 5.6 degrees above normal, the city also registered the warmest night in three years. However, a respite is likely on Thursday, said the India Meteorological Department (IMD) as it also sounded a yellow alert for thunderstorms.
The last time Delhi saw such a record surge in the nighttime temperature was on April 30, 2022, at 25.7 degrees Celsius, as per the IMD. The heatwave spell began on Monday when the maximum temperature touched 40.2 degrees Celsius. The next day, the day’s high soared to 41 degrees Celsius. On Wednesday, the maximum temperature was logged at 40.5°C, around five degrees above normal, as per the weather bulletin. A comparable heatwave spell was last observed in the city in 2022 when Delhi experienced five heatwave days in April.
Meanwhile, in a slight relief to the city-dwellers, the day’s high is expected to slightly plummet on Thursday. Very light rain or drizzle is likely on Thursday and Friday. Haryana, Chandigarh, and Delhi are under a yellow alert for thunderstorms and lightning till Friday. A generally cloudy sky is likely with thunderstorms or lightning, along with strong surface winds up to 40 kmph, which may gust to 50 kmph.
The low is expected to drop to around 20 degrees Celsius, by the weekend, while the day’s high will hover between 38 to 40 degrees Celsius on Sunday.
The IMD in its Wednesday's bulletin said, “Under the influence of the western disturbance, rainfall along with thunderstorm and lightning, gusty or squally winds is likely over Northwest India between April 9 and April 11. As a result, prevailing heat wave conditions will decrease significantly from tomorrow (April 10).”