No major relief from intense heat till June 15, says weather office

The maximum temperature in Delhi-NCR and other parts of northwest India will come down by a few notches over the weekend but no major relief is likely till June 15, the IMD said

The maximum temperature in Delhi-NCR and other parts of northwest India will come down by a few notches over the weekend but no major relief is likely till June 15, the India Meteorological Department said on Thursday.

It said moisture-laden easterly winds will bring significant relief in the region from June 16 onwards.

"There is a heatwave warning for parts of northwest and central India on Thursday but a steep rise in the temperature is not predicted," senior IMD scientist R K Jenamani said.

Northwest and central India is reeling under a heatwave spell since June 2 due to an onslaught of hot and dry westerly winds.

"The ongoing heatwave spell is less intense as compared to those recorded in April-end and May, but the area of impact is almost equal," he said.

Pre-monsoon activity is predicted over east Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Odisha from June 12, but north Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and north MP will continue to see above normal temperatures till June 15, the IMD official said.

"Parts of northwest India, including Delhi-NCR, may report a marginal relief on June 11-12. There will be cloudy weather over the weekend but rainfall is unlikely, he added.

The temperature will hover between 40 degrees Celsius and 43 degrees Celsius till June 15.

"The region may see thunderstorms and rainfall due to moisture-laden easterly winds June 16 onwards which is expected to bring a significant relief from the heat," he said.

Asked if the monsoon will reach Delhi-NCR and other parts of northwest India around the usual date, Jenamani said it was too early to say anything.

Last year, the IMD had forecast that the monsoon would arrive in Delhi nearly two weeks before its usual date (June 27).

However, it reached the capital and neighbouring areas only on July 13, making it the most delayed in 19 years.

The monsoon had entered a "break" phase and there was virtually no progress from June 20 to July 8.