Delhi recorded its warmest night in May in nearly 14 years as the minimum temperature reached 31.9°C on Thursday, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), as per media reports. The temperature was five degrees above normal and marked the season's first “warm night”, forcing the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to extend its "orange" weather alert through May 27.
The previous warmest May night was recorded on May 27, 2012, when the minimum temperature stood at 34.2°C.
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The minimum temperature recorded at Safdarjung, Delhi's primary weather station, settled at a stifling five degrees above the seasonal average. At the Safdarjung base station, the maximum temperature reached 43.6°C, a steep 3.4°C above the seasonal average. Other regional monitoring stations logged even more intense extremes, with the Ridge station peaking at a blistering 45.3°C, according to Hindustan Times.
Weather officials said dry northwesterly and westerly winds, along with the absence of a strong western disturbance, are contributing to the prolonged heatwave. Skymet Vice-President Mahesh Palawat stated that a weak western disturbance affecting the Himalayan region was unlikely to bring relief to Delhi, as cited by HT.
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Rainfall In Parts of India
"The impact may extend till Punjab and Chandigarh, with some scattered rain, but Delhi is not likely to feel any impact from it," an IMD official stated.
In Northeast India, Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura are likely to witness moderate to heavy rainfall between May 21 and 27.
In South Peninsular India, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Telangana, Rayalaseema, and Coastal Andhra Pradesh are expected to receive scattered rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms and strong winds till May 27.
In East India, the IMD has predicted widespread rainfall and thunderstorms over the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Sikkim, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, and Gangetic West Bengal through the week. Strong winds and thunderstorms reaching up to 70 kmph are also likely in parts of West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, and Odisha.
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