Delhi records hottest May night in 14 years; IMD warns of more ‘warm nights’ ahead

NEW DELHI: Warm night conditions are likely to prevail on Tuesday and Wednesday in Delhi, as the minimum temperature is expected to remain between 40 and 42 degrees Celsius, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) informed.

The city had earlier recorded the season’s second ‘warm night’, with the minimum temperature on the intervening night of Sunday and Monday. It was also the highest minimum temperature recorded for May in 14 years. The temperature rose to 32.4 degrees Celsius, 5.7 degrees above normal.

Delhi saw this season’s first warm night on May 21, when the temperature reached 31.9 degrees Celsius. A higher minimum temperature in May was last recorded on May 27, 2012, at 34.2 degrees Celsius.

On Monday, the maximum temperature was recorded at 43.5 degrees Celsius, three degrees above normal. Following the rise in temperature, the IMD has advised citizens to stay vigilant and follow all safety protocols against the heatwave.

The IMD considers a ‘warm night’ when the maximum temperature is over 40 degrees Celsius, and the departure of the minimum temperature is 4.5 degrees Celsius or more above normal. A heatwave is also declared if the maximum temperature touches 45 degrees Celsius or above.

This season, Delhi has witnessed two spells of heatwaves. Parts of the city reeled under three consecutive heatwave days from April 23 to 25. Safdarjung recorded one heatwave day on April 25, when the temperature climbed to 42.8 degrees Celsius. The second four-day streak of heatwave conditions was recorded from May 18 to 21. However, Safdarjung recorded just one such day on May 19, when the temperature touched 45.1 degrees Celsius.

With the crucial heat rising to heatwave conditions, the IMD has predicted a spell of light to very light rain. The rainfall is likely to be accompanied by thunderstorms and gusty winds of up to 60 kmph between May 28 and 31. “No large change in maximum temperatures till May 27 and a fall by 7–8 degrees Celsius thereafter (sic),” an IMD official said.

It was also reported that the intrusion of dust worsened Delhi’s air quality, with a haze appearing over the city. At 4 pm on Monday, when the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) released its 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI), the figure stood at 254 compared to 204 a day earlier. However, it later deteriorated to the higher end of the ‘poor’ range, reaching 281 at 8 pm.