After days of relentless heat, Delhi residents may finally have a reason to cheer. The national capital continued to swelter on Wednesday as temperatures crossed the 43 degrees Celsius mark at several weather stations. However, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted a significant increase in pre-monsoon activity from Thursday onwards, raising hopes of widespread rainfall and a noticeable drop in temperatures across the region. The weather department has also issued a yellow alert for the city and forecast very light to light rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds reaching speeds of 40 to 50 kmph during the night.
Several parts of Delhi remained under the grip of intense heat during the day (June 10). Safdarjung, which serves as the city's base weather station, recorded a maximum temperature of 42.4 degrees Celsius, which was 2.5 degrees above the seasonal average. Palam and Ridge emerged as the hottest locations in the capital, both recording maximum temperatures of 43.6 degrees Celsius. These readings were significantly above normal for this time of the year.
Lodhi Road registered a maximum temperature of 42.4 degrees Celsius, while Ayanagar recorded 43 degrees Celsius, highlighting the widespread nature of the heat across the city. Interestingly, Delhi witnessed a relatively pleasant start to the day, with Safdarjung recording a minimum temperature of 22.9 degrees Celsius, which was 6.3 degrees below normal.
Rain activity expected to increase from June 11
Weather experts believe the current heat spell may soon give way to more active pre-monsoon conditions. Mahesh Palawat, Vice President (Meteorology and Climate Change) at Skymet Weather, said the weather changes are being influenced by a cyclonic circulation over central Pakistan and adjoining regions.
According to him, pre-monsoon activity is likely to strengthen considerably from June 11, leading to fairly widespread rainfall across Delhi, Haryana and Punjab. "The rain activity is likely to increase significantly and temperatures are expected to fall below the 40-degree Celsius mark over the next few days," Palawat said.
Why rising temperatures could trigger stronger storms
Meteorologists point out that a sharp rise in daytime temperatures often creates favourable conditions for the development of stronger pre-monsoon weather systems. Such systems can generate thunderstorms, lightning, dust storms, strong winds and widespread showers, bringing much-needed relief from prolonged heatwave-like conditions. Experts believe the current weather pattern could pave the way for more intense pre-monsoon activity over northwestern India in the coming days.
No rain yet, but conditions are changing
Despite forecasts of changing weather, Delhi remained dry during the day. According to IMD data, none of the city's major weather stations recorded rainfall between 8:30 am and 7:30 pm on Wednesday. However, meteorologists noted that atmospheric conditions are becoming increasingly favourable for thunderstorm activity, suggesting that rain-bearing systems could become more active soon.
Air quality remains in moderate category
Even as temperatures remained high, Delhi's air quality stayed within the "moderate" category. Data released by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) showed the city's Air Quality Index (AQI) at 169 on Wednesday. As per CPCB standards, an AQI between 101 and 200 falls under the moderate category, while readings above 200 indicate deteriorating air quality levels.
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