With mercury witnessing a sharp rise in northern India, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh recorded a temperature of 49 degrees Celsius on Sunday while an intense heatwave has been sweeping the states.
In Delhi, the Safdarjung observatory recorded 45.6 degrees Celsius. The temperature recorded at Safdarjung was the highest in this season. Two other weather stations at Mungeshpur in northwest Delhi and Najafgarh in southwest Delhi reported 49.2 and 49.1 degrees Celsius, respectively.
The minimum temperature on Monday morning was recorded at 30.8 degrees Celsius, four notches above normal. The relative humidity was at 22 per cent. The maximum temperature is likely to settle around 41 degrees Celsius.
Advertisement
Maximum temperatures reached unbearable highs of 48.4 degrees Celsius at Sports Complex, 47.5 degrees Celsius at Jafarpur, 47.3 degrees Celsius at Pitampura and 47.2 degrees Celsius at Delhi Ridge.
In Uttar Pradesh, the Banda district in the Bundelkhand region recorded the maximum day temperature of 49 degrees Celsius, the highest in the state and the highest temperature ever recorded in May.
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has stated that several North Indian states have recorded temperatures above the normal level this season -- several places in Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi, Jammu, Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit-Baltistan, Uttarakhand, Punjab, and Bihar. The same was recorded at many places in West Uttar Pradesh, East Uttar Pradesh, and East Madhya Pradesh.
Advertisement
Madhya Pradesh's capital Bhopal and Jabalpur on Sunday recorded the maximum temperature of 43.9 degree Celsius (three degrees above normal), Indore 41.4 degrees Celsius (one degree above normal) and Gwalior 46.6 degrees Celsius (five degrees above normal), he said.
Splash of rain in other states
Residents of Madhya Pradesh are likely to get a respite from the severe hot weather this week as the temperature has started going down and the mercury is expected to dip further over the next few days, a MeT official said on Monday. On Saturday, Nowgaon and Khajuraho in Chhatarpur district sizzled at 48 degrees Celsius and the maximum temperature at both the places slightly dipped to 47 degrees Celsius on Sunday.
The mercury is expected to go down further from Tuesday. The temperature is likely to fall by two to four degrees Celsius in the next three days, P K Saha, senior meteorologist with the India Meteorological Department’s Bhopal office, told PTI.
On the slight change in weather, he said a north-south trough was running from west Uttar Pradesh to south-west Madhya Pradesh which is clouding some parts of the state.
The ongoing heatwave may be in its last leg as the IMD has already announced that the southwest monsoon, considered as the lifeline of India's agri-based economy, is likely to bring the first showers to Kerala by May 27, five days earlier than the normal onset date, he said.
Advertisement
The monsoon is likely to arrive in Madhya Pradesh by mid-June, the official said. On Sunday, the severe heatwave was observed only in two places - Nowgaon and Khajuraho - in the state and it appears to be abating now, he said.
At the same time, the weather office has sounded a red alert across five districts in Kerala -- Ernakulam, Idukki, Thrissur, Malappuram and Kozhikode -- and warned of heavy rains.
On Sunday, parts of Kerala and Lakshadweep islands recorded a rainfall of 52.2 mm and 57.7 mm on Sunday, respectively.
The weather office has forecast the early onset of monsoon over Kerala by May 27, which is five days before the normal date of June 1.
Advertisement
Southwest Monsoon likely to advance into South Andaman Sea, Nicobar Islands and adjoining Southeast Bay of Bengal during next 24 hours, the IMD stated on Sunday.
Delhiites woke up to a partly cloudy sky on Monday morning with the meteorological department forecasting a thunderstorm or dust storm in the national capital that could bring down the mercury by a few notches thereby providing temporary relief from the sweltering heat.
The MeT department said a cyclonic circulation over Punjab and Haryana will induce pre-monsoon activity that will provide some relief from the intense heat on Monday and Tuesday. The IMD said a thunderstorm or a dust storm is likely in the national capital on Monday.
Advertisement
(with inputs from PTI)
