Delhi records hottest day of season at 42.5 deg C, heatwave likely on Saturday

New Delhi, May 16 (PTI) The mercury soared to 42.5 degrees Celsius in the national capital on Thursday, the highest temperature recorded in the city so far this summer, according to the weather office.

The previous hottest day was May 8, with a maximum temperature of 42 degrees Celsius, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Thursday's maximum temperature was two notches above normal, it said. The relative humidity during the day oscillated between 25 per cent and 65 per cent.

According to the IMD's seven-day forecast, heatwave conditions are likely in isolated places in the capital on Saturday, with temperatures expected to reach 45 degrees Celsius.

Heatwave conditions occur when the maximum temperature is 4.5 degrees or more above normal temperature, reaching at least 45 degrees Celsius, according to the Met department.

There was no heatwave in May 2023 in Delhi, which recorded a highest temperature of 43.7 degrees Celsius in the month last year. In 2022, the capital saw four heatwave days, according to IMD data.

For Friday, the weather office has forecast partly cloudy skies with the maximum and minimum temperatures likely to settle around 43 and 25 degrees Celsius, respectively. PTI