Temperature inches up in Delhi, but heatwave unlikely in coming days

The maximum temperature at the Safdarjung Observatory, rose to 41.9 degrees Celsius on Wednesday amid partly cloudy conditions, though a heatwave is unlikely over the next five to six days.

The maximum temperature at the Safdarjung Observatory, Delhi's base station, rose to 41.9 degrees Celsius on Wednesday amid partly cloudy conditions, though a heatwave is unlikely over the next five to six days.

At 45.2 degrees Celsius, Mungeshpur in northwest Delhi was the hottest place in the capital.

The automatic weather stations at Jafarpur, Pitampura, Najafgarh and Sports Complex recorded a maximum temperature of 44 degrees Celsius, 44.4 degrees Celsius, 44.9 degrees Celsius and 44.3 degrees Celsius, respectively.

Earlier in the day, the Met office had said the capital may witness a "thundery development" and winds gusting up to 30 kmph.

A ravaging thunderstorm packing winds of 100 kmph had pummelled the national capital on Monday evening, uprooting trees, damaging property, disrupting internet and power supply and bringing traffic to a screeching halt.

It was the first storm with a wind speed of 100 kmph or more since June 9, 2018, when Palam had logged a wind speed of 104 kmph, a Met department official said. A moderate thunderstorm hit the city on April 23.

There is a greater chance of sudden development of such powerful thunderstorms in May and June due to high temperatures and high humidity. Such developments cannot be predicted a day or two in advance, said an IMD official.

High temperature and high humidity create thunderclouds which are capable of producing short, intense spells of rain and thunderstorms, said Mahesh Palawat, vice president (climate change and meteorology), Skymet Weather.

A heatwave is unlikely in Delhi for a week, he said.