Slight Dip in Delhi Heat Day After Touching 49 Degrees, Max Temp Settles at 42.4

A senior IMD scientist, RK Jenamani, said that the temperatures would "come down to 43-44 degrees."

An extreme heatwave in India and Pakistan has left more than a billion people facing temperatures well above 40 degrees Celsius.

(Photo: PTI)

Delhi's maximum temperature on Monday, 16 May, saw a marginal dip from Sunday's extreme heat, with Safdarjung Observatory recording 42.4 degrees Celsius. The day also saw a cloudy sky but the maximum temperature was still two notches above normal, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Earlier on Monday, the IMD had predicted on its website that the maximum temperature was expected to be 42 degrees Celsius on Monday.

The prediction came a day after parts of Delhi and Uttar Pradesh experienced temperatures around 49 degrees Celsius, as the northern part of the country reels under a destructive heatwave.

Meanwhile, senior IMD scientist RK Jenamani said that the temperatures would "come down to 43-44 degrees."

"For Safdarjung, it will be 42-43 degrees Celsius. Western Disturbance has come, cloud increased. So, there'll be a relief from tomorrow for three to four days. Then temperature will rise again," news agency ANI quoted him as saying on Monday.

He added, "As per the 11:30 am observation, temperature has already fallen by 2-3 degrees Celsius. So, as per our observation, today (Monday) temperature will be 2-3 degrees Celsius lower than what was observed yesterday."

No Heatwave for Next 4 Days in Delhi: IMD

IMD official Jenamani said that the heatwave across North India is likely to ebb by Tuesday, leading to lower temperatures for four days.

"Yesterday's heatwave was the most severe. The peak is over," he told news agency ANI on Monday.

Haryana, Jammu, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh are in the midst of record-breaking heatwaves.

March 2022 was recorded as the hottest March in 122 years from 1901-2022. April was not far behind, with Northwest and Central India being the hottest in the same time period.

(With inputs from ANI.)