IMD says monsoon likely to elude Delhi till June end as temperature settles at 44.7 °C

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) on Wednesday said the national capital is likely to receive monsoon showers until the end of this month. The maximum temperature in the city settled at 44.7 degrees Celsius today, five notches above the normal average.

The Safdarjung observatory recorded the minimum temperature of 29 degrees Celsius in the morning, while the Najafgarh weather station recorded the highest temperature in the city at 47.7 degrees Celsius.

“The Safdarjung observatory, considered the official marker of the city, noted a high of 44.7 degrees Celsius, five notches above the normal average. Delhi's other weather stations, such as Narela, recorded a high of 47.5 degrees Celsius while Aya Nagar recorded 45.9 degrees C, Ridge 46.4 degrees C and Palam 45.5 degrees C”, the IMD weather bulletin said.

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The national capital is reeling under heatwave as maximum temperature for the last 15 days has stayed above 40 degrees Celsius.

According to the IMD bulletin, the relative humidity oscillated between 18 per cent and 58 per cent.

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The weather department forecasted a partly cloudy sky accompanied by strong surface winds and a heatwave at most places on Thursday and maximum and minimum temperatures are likely to hover around 45 and 30 degrees Celsius, respectively.

Monsoon

Forecasting a sluggish southwest monsoon, the IMD said the Bay of Bengal arm of the monsoon is weak and is awaiting a fresh pulse to march across central and northern India. The IMD said monsoon could cover Odisha, coastal Andhra Pradesh and north-west Bay of Bengal for three to four days.

Monsoon watchers said the low-level warm winds from the northwest were dominating the weak monsoon pulse over the Bay of Bengal and prolonging the hot weather conditions in parts of central and northern India.

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Former Earth Sciences secretary Madhavan Rajeevan said after normal progress, the monsoon is going into a hiatus mode.

"Not much progress is expected in the next 8-10 days, thus delaying onset over north India. This causes extreme temperatures & heat waves over north India, including Delhi, UP and Bihar," Rajeevan said on X.

According to the weather office, the monsoon is expected to reach Bihar and Jharkhand by June 16-18, Uttar Pradesh from June 20-30, and Delhi around June 27, which is the normal onset date for the national capital.