Temperature may fall marginally

NEW DELHI: Temperature in the national capital came close to its all-time high on Sunday, as hot and dry Westerly winds from central Pakistan and Rajasthan threatened to keep north-west and central India baking-hot in the 45-48 degrees Celsius range.

Ganganagar in Rajasthan recorded the highest temperature for the day at 48.6 degrees Celsius, followed by Nowgang in Madhya Pradesh at 47.9 degrees Celsius, Delhi’s Palam area, which is not the official site for recording the city’s temperature, came in third at 47.8 degrees Celsius.

However, there could be some respite soon. Meteorologists have forecast a 1-2 degree drop in temperature and humidity increase by Monday-Tuesday, when moisture-laden South Easterly and Easterly winds are expected to start blowing over the region.

“Extreme heat-wave conditions are prevailing over north-west and central India. We don’t see any active western disturbance or thunderstorm activity which can bring immediate relief to the common man,” said BP Yadav, head of National Weather Forecasting Centre at IMD.

The Delhi region recorded the season’s all-time high of 47.8 degrees Celsius at Palam airport on Sunday. The previous high for Palam waon June 6, when the mercury had touched 47. 2 degrees.

At Delhi’s Safdarjung area, the official site for recording the city’s temperature, the mercury touched 45.1 degrees Celsius, closing in on the all-time high for the area of 46.7 degrees Celsius recorded on June 17,1945.

According to meteorologists, hot and dry winds are blowing from the west and north-west (Rajasthan and central Pakistan), threatening to push the temperature up to 47 degrees Celsius and beyond, from an average 44-45 degrees Celsius.

“In the absence of the weather system, heat is getting accumulated and temperatures are rising,” said GP Sharma, vice-president, Meteorology, Skymet Weather Services. According to Sharma, on Saturday, Allahabad had recorded 48.3 degrees, breaking its all-time high of 47.8 degrees (2012).

The same day, Bhopal recorded a 10-year high at 45.3 degrees. However, both Yadav and Sharma expectced a 1-2 degree drop in temperature over north-west and central India in the next 24-48 hours.

They said a well-marked lowpressure area over central parts of the Arabian Sea was likely to bring moisture-laden winds to Gujarat and Rajasthan. Also, South Easterly winds from the Bay of Bengal were expected to blow in the coming days, bringing moisture and humidity.