City swelters at 40.2°C amid monsoon delay

Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 40.2 degrees Celsius on Saturday, 1.6 notches above normal, as the city experienced hot and humid conditions amid a likely delay in the arrival of the southwest monsoon.

The weather office said very light rain accompanied by thunderstorms is likely in isolated parts of the city during the night.

For Sunday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast a generally cloudy sky with thunderstorms and rain. The maximum and minimum temperatures are likely to settle around 39 degrees Celsius and 28 degrees Celsius, respectively.

Station-wise data showed that Palam recorded a maximum temperature of 39.9 degrees Celsius on Saturday, 0.9 notches above normal, while Lodhi Road registered 40.1 degrees Celsius, 2.1 notches above normal.

The Ridge weather station recorded 41.1 degrees Celsius, 0.2 notches above normal, and Ayanagar logged 40.4 degrees Celsius, 0.8 notches below normal.

According to the IMD, the minimum temperature at the Safdarjung observatory, the city’s base station, settled at 28.7 degrees Celsius, 0.7 notches above normal.

The minimum temperature was recorded at 26.5 degrees Celsius in Palam, 1.5 notches below normal; 27 degrees Celsius in Lodhi Road, one notch below normal; 26 degrees Celsius at the Ridge, 2.5 notches below normal; and 27.7 degrees Celsius in Ayanagar, 0.2 notches below normal.

Delhi may have to wait until the first week of July for the arrival of the southwest monsoon this year instead of its usual onset date of around June 27, with weather experts attributing the delay to the absence of favourable weather systems that normally help the rain-bearing winds advance towards northwest India.