delhi-faces-47-c-heatwave-june-average-just-39-c

After a brief respite from heat wave conditions, the Indian Meteorological Department has warned that Delhi will experience more intense heat in the coming days.

The IMD predicted that Delhi's maximum temperature would reach 47° Celsius in the coming days and issued an orange alert in the NCR from June 11 to 13.

On Monday, the maximum temperature in Delhi breached 43° Celsius for the second consecutive day, as several other neighbourhood areas experienced heatwave-like conditions.

Delhi recorded a high of 43.4° Celsius, 3.5 notches above the season’s average, the weather department said on Monday, while some registered a maximum temperature of over 46°s Celsius.

The average temperature for June in Delhi is 39° Celsius, but the national capital has already recorded maximum days with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees.

Delhi has recorded a staggering 32 days of heat waves, with temperatures surpassing 40° Celsius between May 1 and June 10. This marks the highest number of heatwaves in 14 years.

In 2023, Delhi recorded 10 days of intense heat; in 2022, the number of heat wave days stood at 27. 

Experts have attributed Delhi's intense heat to scanty rainfall this year. Delhi received only 0.4mm of rainfall on May 11, and the month ended with a rainfall deficit of 99 per cent. In June, Safdarjung recorded only 1.2mm of rainfall, resulting in an 85 per cent rainfall deficit.