New Delhi: Delhiites experienced the season’s first ‘warm’ night in April as the minimum temperature on Wednesday rose to 25.6 degrees Celsius -- the highest for the month in the past three years -- as a heatwave gripped the Capital for the third straight day, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
The maximum temperature remained above 40 degrees Celsius at several locations on Wednesday, with the city’s primary weather station at Safdarjung recording a high of 40.5 degrees Celsius -- 5.4 notches above normal, IMD data showed.
Among the other monitoring stations, Ayanagar recorded a maximum temperature of 40.9 degree Celsius, Palam 40.3 degrees Celsius, Ridge 40.2 degrees Celsius, while Lodhi Road recorded a high of 39.7 degrees Celsius, as per IMD data. With the daytime temperature in the Capital hovering around 40 degrees Celsius for the past three days, four out of five weather stations in Delhi reported heatwave conditions, the IMD said. According to the weather office, a heatwave is declared when the maximum temperature in the plains reaches at least 40 degrees Celsius or when the temperature departs from normal by 4.5 to 6.4 degrees Celsius. Delhi recorded its first heatwave of the season on Monday when the maximum temperature soared to 40.2 degrees Celsius.
On Wednesday, the city recorded its highest minimum temperature in April in three years with the mercury settling at 25.6 degrees Celsius -- 5.6 degrees above normal -- marking the warmest night of the season so far, according to the IMD. A similar trend was observed in 2022, when the highest minimum temperature in April was recorded at 26.2 degrees Celsius. Delhi recorded warm night conditions at all five IMD stations on Wednesday, with minimum temperatures nearing 25 degree C. The AQI stood at 246 (‘poor’), while a thunderstorm with rain is forecast for Thursday.