IMD warns of above-normal temperatures from Tuesday; no western disturbance on horizon to offer relief to the capital
Delhi residents should prepare to swap their light jackets for sunscreen as the India Meteorological Department has forecast a sharp and sustained rise in temperatures this week, with the mercury likely to breach the 40°C mark by April 17.
Monday opened on a relatively moderate note, with the maximum temperature expected to settle near 37°C and the minimum around 20°C, accompanied by strong surface winds through the afternoon. However, the heat curve rises steeply from there. By April 14, maximums are forecast to run 1.6 to 3°C above normal. April 15 and 16 will sustain that above-normal band for both day and night readings, before temperatures peak sharply around April 17.
The IMD has attributed the warming trend to the absence of any active western disturbance over the region. Officials confirmed that a gradual 4 to 5°C rise in maximum temperatures is expected across the next seven days, with conditions turning increasingly harsh mid-week.
This season’s highest temperature so far was 36.8°C, recorded on April 2 and March 11 respectively. Last April, Delhi had endured a fierce heatwave, with temperatures breaching 40°C between April 7 and 9.
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