Delhi experienced very hot weather on Monday, with temperatures rising up to 4 degrees Celsius above the seasonal average. However, the India Meteorological Department did not declare a heatwave.
Safdarjung, the city's main weather station, recorded a high of 42.3 degrees Celsius, while the Ridge area in north Delhi reached 43.8 degrees Celsius.
Despite the high temperatures, conditions did not meet the official heatwave criteria, similar to Sunday. A heatwave is declared only when temperatures are significantly higher than normal and cross certain limits.
Dust storm and strong winds in the evening
Weather conditions changed later in the day as a dust storm hit the city between 8 pm and 9 pm. Earlier in the evening, the IMD warned of strong winds and possible light rain. Wind speeds reached up to 61 km/h at Pragati Maidan and 54 km/h at Pusa. However, no rain was recorded by late night.
The IMD has forecast partly cloudy skies for Tuesday, with a chance of light drizzle in some areas. A yellow alert has been issued for Wednesday, when one or two spells of light rain and gusty winds of up to 50 km/h are expected. This may bring temperatures below 40 degrees Celsius.
Cooling trend to continue for a few days
Officials said temperatures are likely to fall from Tuesday onwards, with light rain expected through Wednesday and possibly Thursday. Daytime temperatures may stay between 39 degrees Celsius and 41 degrees Celsius until early May.
Delhi had already seen heatwave conditions for three days from Thursday to Saturday. Saturday was the hottest day so far this year, with the Ridge station recording 44.5 degrees Celsius and Safdarjung 42.8 degrees Celsius.
What causes a heatwave?
The IMD declares a heatwave when temperatures are at least 4.5 degrees Celsius above normal and cross 40 degrees Celsius, or when they reach 45 degrees Celsius or higher. These conditions were not met on Monday.
According to Mahesh Palawat from Skymet Weather, the expected rain is due to a weather system over central Pakistan and nearby Rajasthan. Rainfall has already been seen in Rajasthan and is likely to move towards Delhi via Haryana. Moisture from the Arabian Sea is also helping bring rain.
Heatwaves in April are not unusual in Delhi. Last year, the city recorded three such days in early April. In 2022, there were 11 heatwave days, while earlier years also saw similar conditions.