NEW DELHI: After a brief rain relief, the mercury has started rising again, with the maximum temperature touching 40.1 degrees Celsius, three degrees above normal, on Sunday at the city’s base station, Safdarjung.For the first time this season, India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert for heatwave conditions in isolated areas from Wednesday to Friday, with the mercury likely to reach 43°C.On Friday, Delhi witnessed the season’s highest maximum temperature at 41°C, but the weather changed in the evening, with the city recording intense rain, lightning and gusty winds. The mercury dipped below 40°C on Saturday, but the respite didn’t last long.
At 41.8°C, the Ridge observatory in north Delhi was the hottest station on Sunday, followed by Mungeshpur in northwest Delhi (41°C). The consistently hot north-westerly winds and maximum hours of sunshine are likely to push up the mercury in Delhi, Punjab, Haryana and north Rajasthan in the next few days, Met officials said. The maximum is predicted to be around 41 to 42°C on Monday and Tuesday, but may hover between 41 and 43°C from Wednesday to Friday.“A western disturbance, which caused rain in the Himalayan region, passed on Sunday. Another one is expected to impact the Himalayas from April 23, but since it will be feeble, Delhi is unlikely to get any respite during the next seven days,” said Krishna Mishra, scientist, IMD. He added that one of the stations in Delhi may witness heatwave conditions on Monday and isolated areas are likely to reel under heatwaves from April 22.The Met department said that although this level of heat is tolerable to most people, it may pose moderate health concerns for vulnerable groups, including infants and elderly people suffering from chronic illnesses.IMD considers a heatwave day when the maximum is at least 40°C and 4.5°C or more above the normal temperature. A heatwave is also declared if the maximum touches 45°C.Though no ‘heatwave day’ has been recorded in April this year and in the same month in 2024 and 2023, three such days were recorded in the second week of April in 2025. In 2022, the city suffered its most intense spell of heatwave in April in recent years, with 11 such days recorded.The minimum temperature on Sunday settled at 21.7°C, which is near normal for this time of the year. It is likely to climb to 24°C by Thursday.Delhi’s air quality, meanwhile, deteriorated to the poor range, with an air quality index (AQI) of 258. Following rain on Friday evening, AQI dipped to the moderate category at 152 on Saturday. It is forecast to remain poor till at least Wednesday, according to Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi.
