Delhi to get a little cooler before it gets hotter again

After bracing scorching heat over the last couple of days, temperatures seem to be dropping in Delhi, providing some well-needed respite.

This respite may, however, be short-lived, with weathermen saying that Delhi falls in the “core heat wave zone” where above normal heat wave conditions are expected during months of March to May this year.

Thursday was a relatively pleasant day in Delhi, when the thermostat dropped to 16.5 degrees Celsius in the morning and rose to 28.5 degrees Celsius during the day.

Weathermen have predicted temperatures to drop further over the next week, with maximum and minimum temperatures expected to be 27 and 15 degrees Celsius on Friday. By Saturday, the maximum and minimum temperatures will drop further to 26 and 14 degrees Celsius.

“We had been experiencing above normal temperatures in Delhi. Now Temperatures are just moving back towards the normal,” said an official at the Regional Weather Forecasting Centre (RWFC).

The normal temperature for this time of the year is between 27.1 and 13.1 degrees Celsius.

Tuesday was the warmest February day in the last decade, when temperatures rose to as high as 32.5 degrees Celsius. Wednesday was also just as warm, with temperatures fluctuating between 30.5 and 18 degrees Celsius.

“We have been experiencing very warm February days over the last couple of years. This year was maybe a little bit warmer even. So it is good that it will get a little cooler, because it is only get warmer in summer now,” said Vinay Kumar, a resident of Lajpat Nagar.

However, the respite might be short-lived. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had stated that 2016 was the warmest year in India since 1901, with above normal temperatures being recorded during the summer months of 2016. They have predicted that, in keeping with this trend, temperatures during the hot months of March to May this year will possibly continue to dock a notch above the expected normal.

Forecast for the coming week:

Day Maximum temperature Minimum temperature

Friday 27 15

Saturday 26 14

Sunday 27 13

Monday 27 14

Tuesday 26 16

Wednesday 26 16

Source: India Meteorological Department