At 38.6 degrees Celsius, the Capital recorded the hottest temperature in March in the past seven years on Friday.
The maximum temperature was five degrees above normal and was the second highest in a decade. March 22, 2010 was the hottest day in 10 years at 39.2 degrees Celsius.
The highest temperature recorded in the month of March was on March 31, 1945, when the mercury touched 40.6 degrees Celsius.
The minimum temperature on Friday was recorded at 23.3 degrees Celsius, also five degrees above normal. The humidity oscillated between 63% and 24%.
40.2°C in Palam
Temperature recorded at the MeT station at Safdarjung is considered the official temperature of the city but places like Palam, Ridge and Ayanagar recorded temperatures of 40.2, 40.3 and 39.8 degrees Celsius respectively.
Deputy Director-General (Meteorology) R. Vishen said that from April 1, there will be an arrest in the rise in temperature and thunderstorms are expected on April 4.
Not a heatwave yet
On being asked if the extreme temperature can be called a heatwave, Mr. Vishen said, “For the MeT department to declare it a heatwave, temperatures need to have crossed 40 degrees Celsius and need to be between 4-6.4 degrees above normal. Since the official temperature of Delhi is below 40 degrees Celsius, we cannot call it a heatwave yet. However, heatwave conditions are prevailing in isolated parts of the city.”
Cloudy skies today
The weatherman has forecast overcast conditions for Saturday. “The skies will be partly cloudy. The maximum and minimum temperatures are likely to hover at 38 and 22 degrees Celsius,” the MeT department said.
Beat the heat
Asking Delhiites to take precautions against the rising heat, R. N. Tandon of the Indian Medical Association said that to combat the summers, people should drink plenty of water, consume fruits and eat light meals that are easy on the stomach. People with high blood pressure, diabetes, cardiac arrhythmias, and elderly patients should consult their doctors if they exhibit common symptoms of heat stroke, including altered consciousness, high-grade fever, dry armpits and not passing urine once in eight hours.
