2 days ago
Scalded! City Hits 54.4C On Heat Index, Relief Delayed
New Delhi: Thursday was the hottest day of the season, with the 'feels like' temperature, or heat index, touching 54.4 degrees Celsius. As parts of the city endured a heatwave for the fourth consecutive day, the weatherman who expected a respite from Friday now anticipated a heatwave that day, while also forecasting thundershowers.
On Thursday, the city's base weather station at Safdarjung recorded a maximum temperature of 43.9 degrees Celsius, 4 degrees above normal and the highest of the season after Tuesday's 43.8 degrees. The maximum temperature on Wednesday was 43.3 degrees Celsius. The minimum temperature recorded was 30.7 degrees Celsius, three notches above normal. The humidity oscillated between 39% and 73%, resulting in sweltering weather that caused much discomfort for people.
The high temperature combined with high humidity to log a high heat index or 'feels like' temperature. The city has been experiencing very high 'feels like' temperatures in the past few days. It was an uncomfortable 54.4 degrees Celsius on Thursday against 51.9 degrees on Wednesday. "Heat index is the combination of temperature and humidity. It is the temperature felt by the human body and is not just the air temperature.
by Taboola
by Taboola
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When humidity is high, sweat evaporates slowly, making it harder for the body to cool down. That is why a high heat index is very dangerous," explained Mahesh Palawat, vice-chairman, Meteorology and Climate Change, Skymet.
Along with Delhi, a large part of northwest India was again an extremely hot and humid day. "Today, heatwave conditions prevailed at a few places, with severe heatwave conditions at isolated places in Rajasthan, heatwave to severe heatwave conditions in Haryana, heatwave conditions at a few places in Punjab, at isolated places in Madhya Pradesh and Delhi.
Heatwave to severe heatwave conditions are likely to continue over northwest India, including the western Himalayan region on June 13 before the heat comes down," said an India Meteorological Department official.
On a sultry day, IMD resumed sharing data from the weather station at Mungeshpur village in northwest Delhi, having discontinued it in May last year. The area made headlines after erroneously recording an astonishing 52.4 degrees Celsius on May 29, 2024.
On Thursday, Mungeshpur turned out to be the only station in the city to record a heatwave with a maximum temperature of 45.2 degrees Celsius. Among other areas of the city that recorded high temperatures were Ridge and Ayanagar, both at 44.2 degrees Celsius, Palam at 43.9 degrees and Pitampura at 43.1 degrees Celsius.
IMD has issued a yellow alert for heat on Friday, expecting both a heatwave and thundershowers, rain and gusty winds of up to 60kmph. The maximum temperature on Friday is expected to be in the 41-43 degrees range. IMD expects rain on Sunday as well and no heatwave warning has been issued for that day, with the maximum temperature likely to range from 29 degrees to 41 degrees.
Meanwhile, the city's air quality improved to the 'moderate' level on Thursday, with AQI docking at 195 compared with 245 in the 'poor' category the previous day.
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