Cloudy skies, intermittent rain in Delhi to keep heat wave at bay till June 4

PTI

New Delhi, May 29

Partly cloudy skies and intermittent rain are predicted to keep temperatures in check in Delhi and heat wave conditions are unlikely to return for five to six days, the India Meteorological Department's Regional Forecasting Centre said on Monday.

The Safdarjung Observatory, Delhi's primary weather station, recorded a minimum temperature of 21.8 degrees Celsius, five notches below normal, on Monday. The maximum temperature is likely to settle around 35 degrees Celsius.

May, historically the hottest month in Delhi with a mean maximum temperature of 39.5 degrees Celsius, has recorded below-normal temperatures and excess rain this time.

Meteorologists attributed the phenomenon to higher-than-usual western disturbances -- weather systems that originate in the Mediterranean region and bring unseasonal rain to northwest India -- this season.     

According to India Meteorological Department (IMD) data, the Safdarjung Observatory has so far recorded 86.7 mm of rainfall in May. On average, the national capital logs 19.7 mm of rainfall in the whole month.

Delhi also witnessed an unusual episode of dense fog earlier this month. The minimum temperature dropped to 15.8 degrees Celsius on May 4, making it the third coolest May morning since the IMD started keeping records in 1901.