Delhi’s longest heat wave got a stormy farewell on Thursday as light rain and strong winds caused by cyclone Nanauk in the Arabian Sea dragged temperatures below the heat-wave mark. Maximum temperatures, however, remained above normal throughout the day. The temperature may fall on Friday as dust storms are expected to continue.
The first thunderstorm was reported in Noida and Ghaziabad at 1.40 p.m. followed by Delhi at 3.15 pm. Wind speeds of 70 kilometres per hour were reported at Safdarjung, and at Palam, winds went up to 80 kilometres per hour. The Capital remained overcast between 3-15 p.m. and 7 p.m. and 0.8 millimetres of rainfall was received.
The maximum temperature at Safdarjung was 43.6 degrees Celsius, while Safdarjung stayed high at 46 degrees Celsius. However, the common human observer hardly felt this.
“Under today’s atmospheric scenario, with high moisture already around Delhi by that time (3 p.m. to 4 p.m. when temperature peaks) and a very good vertical mix that occurred with strong movement of air, these large-scale thunderstorms took place almost all over city. These were accompanied by light rain and strong winds at Delhi, which were not there on any other day of heat wave over Delhi,” said Palam Meteorological Office director R.K. Jenamani.
Thursday’s storms were caused by strong South winds that brought moisture from the cyclone across Gujarat and Rajasthan. The cyclone is expected to hit Oman on Sunday.
“The heat in Delhi made the moisture rise up and condense to forms clouds which led to the light rain and fall in temperature. This is expected to continue for a day. Cloud formation is also forecast between June 15 and 18. Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh are still hot, but temperature there is expected to decrease tomorrow,” M. Durai Samy, scientist at the Regional Meteorological Centre told The Hindu .
This heat wave, that lasted more than a week, is probably the longest ever in Delhi. Data since 1969 shows that the longest heat wave up till last week was four days in June 1995. Palam made a new record on June 8, when mercury touched 47.8 degrees Celsius. Safdarjung was just 0.1 degree Celsius short of breaking its 2003 record of 45.6 degrees Celsius.
