Delhi witnesses its first heatwave, IMD issues ‘yellow alert’ for next 2 days
An official of the India Meteorological Department noted that the city was already under yellow alert, adding that that it was being extended for two more days.
Delhi weather: Delhi witnessed its first heatwave of this year's summer on Monday, with the maximum temperature touching 40.2 degrees Celsius. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) also issued a yellow alert for the capital for the next two days.
A weather department official noted that the city is already under yellow alert.
IMD issues a yellow alert to advise people to avoid heat exposure, wear lightweight, light coloured and loose cotton clothes, and urging them to cover their heads with a cloth, a hat or an umbrella when stepping out.
The other weather monitoring stations in the capital, including those at Ridge and Ayanagar, also recorded maximum temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius. The weather office said that the Palam and Lodhi Road stations saw a high of around 39 degrees Celsius.
In a statement, IMD said that "These (heatwave) conditions are likely to continue until April 9. From April 10 onwards, a drop in temperature is expected over Northwest India, including Delhi."
Usually, the national capital touched the 40-degree mark during the second half of April, the weather department said. However, this year, the mark has already been crossed in the first half of the month, a situation similar to the one that occurred in 2022.
In 2022, the city recorded its heatwave on April 8, when the maximum temperature soared to 41.6 degrees Celsius, IMD data showed.
In April 2023 and 2024, however, no heat wave was recorded, even though a high of 40 degree Celsius was marked on April 15 in 2023 and April 26 in 2024.
When is a heatwave declared?
The India Meteorological Department declares a heatwave when the maximum temperature is at least 40 degrees Celsius in the plains or 30 degrees Celsius in the hilly regions, or when the departure from normal is between 4.5 degrees and 6.4 degrees Celsius.
Mahesh Palawat, private forecaster from Skymet Weather Services, said that a change in weather is expected after April 10 when the sky will turn cloudy and temperatures will drop due to a western disturbance over North India.
The IMD said that the humidity level in Delhi on Monday ranged between 45 per cent and 25 per cent during day time. The air quality index was recorded in the 'poor' category with a reading of 261 at 4 pm, the Central Pollution Control Board's data showed.
For Tuesday, IMD has forecast a clear sky with heatwave conditions in the city. The maximum temperature is likely to be around 41 degrees Celsius, while the minimum around 22 degrees Celsius.
