‘Severe heat wave’ in Delhi today; Central, West India to sizzle over next 4-5 days: IMD

"The temperature is going to rise till 39 degrees, it may reach 40 degrees also. Heatwave is there, it will continue for today and tomorrow including other parts of India. There will be a slight fall from April 1 and then again high temperatures will continue throughout," said IMD official.

Representational Image (Credits: PTI)

New Delhi: The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted severe heatwave conditions in Delhi on Thursday (March 31, 2022). Several arts of the national capital sweltered under a severe heatwave on Wednesday as well, with the maximum temperature crossing the 41-degree mark at three places. 

​Amid the stifling and sweltering heatwave around the country, IMD said that the temperature in the national capital may rise up to 40 degrees Celsius in the upcoming days.

The weather department on Wednesday also informed us that the Heat Wave Spell is likely to continue over Central and West India during the next 4 to 5 days.

"The temperature is going to rise till 39 degrees, it may reach 40 degrees also. Heatwave is there, it will continue for today and tomorrow including other parts of India. There will be a slight fall from April 1 and then again high temperatures will continue throughout," RK Jenamani, IMD official told ANI.

The Met officials stated that a prolonged dry spell has led to "severe" hot weather conditions in northwest India. "The heatwave spell over northwest, central and west India is likely to continue for the next four to five days."

According to IMD, a "heatwave" is declared for the plains when the maximum temperature is over 40 degrees Celsius and at least 4.5 notches above normal. A "severe" heatwave is declared if the departure from normal temperature is more than 6.4 notches.

Delhi's temperature nears 40°C

Eight weather stations in Delhi recorded their maximum temperature above 40 degrees Celsius. The mercury settled at 41.7 degrees Celsius, 41.4 degrees Celsius and 41.5 degrees Celsius at Narela, Pitampura and Sports Complex stations respectively.

The Safdarjung observatory considered the official marker for the city, recorded a high of 39.6 degrees Celsius -- eight notches above normal.

Another spell of heatwave in Delhi is likely from April 3 to April 5, the IMD officials said.

Temperature to rise in northwest India

"The absence of a weather system and the presence of an anti-cyclone over Rajasthan and adjoining Pakistan have been pushing hot winds across North and Central India. March is going to end on a hotter note with no respite till the beginning of April," said Mahesh Palawat, vice president, Meteorology and Climate Change, Skymet Weather.

Light winds and dry weather will once again increase temperatures over northwest India leading to heatwave conditions, he said.

"While we expect a heatwave to hit parts of central and northwest India by the end of March, it was not expected so early in the season.

"But I would also not be surprised as we have been witnessing a gradual rise in day temperatures for the last few years. Record-breaking maximum temperatures are now here to stay with the rise in global mean temperatures," he said.

Parts of northeast India to witness rainfall

On the other hand, isolated heavy rainfall has been forecasted over Arunachal Pradesh, Assam-Meghalaya between March 31 and April 3, under the influence of strong southwesterly winds from the Bay of Bengal to northeasternstates at lower tropospheric levels.

(With agency inputs)