On Tuesday, Delhi experienced warm and humid conditions, making outdoor activities uncomfortable for residents despite a slight drop in both maximum and minimum temperatures. The maximum temperature fell below 40 degrees Celsius, with Safdarjung, the city’s base station, recording 39.7 degrees Celsius, three degrees above normal, compared to 40.4 degrees Celsius on Monday. The heat index registered at 52 degrees Celsius, down from 53 degrees the previous day.
The minimum temperature was 28.6 degrees Celsius, a degree above normal, down from 31.4 degrees Celsius the day before. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), maximum temperatures are expected to remain below 40 degrees Celsius for the rest of the week, dropping to 36 degrees Celsius by June 30 as rain intensity increases. Minimum temperatures may also drop to 23 degrees Celsius by June 30, offering much-needed relief to residents.
The IMD issued a yellow alert for the city, predicting rain across parts of Delhi for the next six days but did not specify when the southwest monsoon is expected to reach the capital. However, it noted that the monsoon is likely to cover several parts of northwest India in the next three to four days.
An IMD bulletin mentioned that conditions were favorable for the southwest monsoon to advance further into the remaining parts of the north Arabian Sea, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh; additional areas of Rajasthan; remaining parts of Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Jharkhand, and Bihar; most parts of east Uttar Pradesh; more parts of west Uttar Pradesh; and parts of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu-Kashmir-Ladakh-Gilgit-Baltistan-Muzaffarabad, and the northern parts of Punjab and Haryana during the next three to four days.
Humidity levels fluctuated between 48% and 92%, causing excessive sweating and making it difficult for the body to cool down. High humidity increases perspiration.
An IMD official stated that the city may experience light to very light rain over the next six days, with the intensity of rain expected to increase from June 28 due to the influence of an approaching western disturbance and the advancement of the southwest monsoon towards northwest India.