Plenty of sun, no rain push mercury up in Delhi
New Delhi: The mercury continued its upward trend in the national capital Friday in the absence of any pre-monsoon activity and crossed the 45-degree mark at some places.
The Safdarjung Observatory, which provides official figures for the city, recorded a high of 43.7 degrees Celsius and a low of 29.6 degrees Celsius. Humidity levels oscillated between 16 and 50 per cent, the weatherman said.
The weather stations at Palam, Sports Complex, Delhi Ridge and Ayanagar recorded the mercury at 45.2, 45.1, 44.8 and 44.4 degrees Celsius.
The city has recorded nil rainfall from June 1 to June 14, according to India Meteorological Department data. It is the only 100 per cent rain-deficient "state" in the country.
Normally, the city would record 15 mm of rainfall in the first two weeks of June, the data shows.
The lack of rainfall has pushed the temperatures in the national capital up, a MeT official said.
The weather office has predicted a partly cloudy sky and dust-raising winds for Saturday.
There is a possibility of dust storm or thunderstorm with winds gusting up to 40 kilometers per hour towards the night on Saturday.The maximum and minimum temperatures will hover around 43 and 30 degrees Celsius, the weatherman predicted.
The IMD said a cyclonic circulation over western Rajasthan and a western disturbance is likely to start affecting weather in the desert state, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and western Uttar Pradesh Sunday onwards.
A dust storm and thunderstorm activity is likely on Sunday evening and light rain and thunderstorm on Monday, it said.
