Delhiites have more trouble in store from the sizzling heat with the Weather department predicting the temperature to soar up to 45 degrees Celsius by next week. The maximum temperature this week will continue to be around 42 degrees Celsius with no possibility of rain. A senior Weather department official said, “The temperature for May will not go below 40 degrees Celsius and there is very less chances of rain.”
The maximum temperature on Monday was recorded at 41.6 degrees Celsius and the minimum temperature was 24.3 degrees Celsius. The maximum and minimum humidity recorded was 61 and 21 per cent respectively. The sky was partly cloudy in the first half of the day which later became clear towards the later half. The maximum temperature at Palam was recorded at 42.8 degrees Celsius and minimum was 27.3 while at Delhi University, maximum temperature was 40.6 degrees Celsius. There were no records of rain in any part of Delhi.
During the peak hours, there were less people seen around the streets due to hot winds and scorching heat. Only those who could not afford it, were seen venturing out with their faces covered and sunglasses on. Neeraj Sharma, a visitor at Purana Quila said, “It is getting hotter day-by-day; last week was tolerable as compared to the present temperature. The hot winds are intolerable.”
According to the Weather department, the maximum and minimum temperatures for May 7 and 8 are expected to remain at 42 and 25 degrees Celsius respectively.
In May last year, the mercury had touched a high of 45 degrees Celsius on the last day of the month. The record for the month of May was 47.2 degrees Celsius recorded on 29th day of the month in 1944.
Weather department had predicted that the city will witness a dry spell and significant increase in maximum temperature during the first week of May.