The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast light rain on Friday, June 14, potentially offering relief from the intense heatwave gripping the national capital. Heatwave conditions were expected to persist in some areas, accompanied by strong surface winds reaching speeds of 35 kilometres per hour.
On Thursday, the Safdarjung Observatory, which is considered the official marker for the city, recorded a maximum temperature of 44.8 degrees Celcius, 4.9 degrees above normal. The Najafgarh weather station recorded a high of 45.1 degrees Celsius.
Other areas in Delhi also experienced extreme temperatures, with Narela recording 45.3 degrees Celcius, Aya Nagar at 46.4 degrees, Ridge at 43.3 degrees, and Palam at 45.8 degrees, according to the IMD bulletin.
The city was under an ‘orange’ alert, indicating the need to “be prepared” for severe weather conditions. The relative humidity varied between 15 per cent and 58 per cent.
On Wednesday, temperatures in parts of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Chandigarh, Jharkhand, Haryana, and Rajasthan ranged between 45-47 degrees Celsius, with Kanpur reaching a high of 47.5 degrees Celsius amid heatwave conditions.
The IMD forecast heatwave to severe heatwave conditions from June 13 to June 17 in parts of Uttar Pradesh. A heatwave alert was issued for Gangetic West Bengal, Bihar, and Jharkhand from June 13 to June 15. Heatwave conditions were expected to continue in the Delhi-Haryana-Chandigarh region and parts of Punjab from June 13 to 17, with severe heatwave conditions anticipated in isolated pockets on June 16 and 17.
Heavy Rains last week caused flooding and waterlogging in parts of Goa and Maharashtra. Today, the heavy rains led to the swelling of the Teesta River in West Bengal. Landslides and flooding due to heavy rains and thunderstorms also impacted the northeastern states.
In North Sikkim, at least one person was killed and five others went missing due to massive landslides. Continuous rainfall throughout Wednesday night worsened conditions, inundating several roads in Teesta Bazar, which connects Darjeeling and Kalimpong, and other areas like Geil Khola, news agency PTI reported citing officials.
