Heat wave continues in Delhi, respite likely on Wednesday

New Delhi, May 29 (IANS) Heat wave-like conditions continued in the national capital on Tuesday with average maximum temperature recorded at 44.4 degree Celsius, four notches above the season's average but a respite is likely on Wednesday, the Met Department said.

Next respite is likely in 24 hours for Delhi and surrounding regions, while the monsoon rains are not arriving before June 20, an India Meteorological Department (IMD) official told IANS.

Palam area in Delhi was again hottest, recording 46.5 degrees, six notches above the season's average.

The minimum temperature was recorded at 25.9 degrees, a notch below the season's average.

"Maximum temperatures are expected to drop by two to three degrees on Wednesday with light rains towards the evening," IMD scientist Kuldeep Srivastava told IANS.

According to IMD, Delhi will see respite from heat waves like conditions from May 30, while parts of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh will continue suffering till May 31. 

On Tuesday, temperatures were over 40.0 degrees at most parts of Delhi, Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Telengana and Vidarbha; at many parts of interior Odisha and Rayalaseema and at one or two pockets of Jammu division, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat region, Saurashtra and Kutch, east Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, north interior Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. 

The humidity on Tuesday oscillated between 18 to 47 per cent.

While Palam sizzled at 46.5 degrees, Ayanagar recorded 45.2 degrees, Ridge and Narela recorded 44.2 degrees Celsius maximum temperature on Tuesday.

Gurugram and Faridabad sizzled at 44.4 degree Celsius.

Delhi's air quality remained "poor" across 24 monitoring stations with 285 Air Quality Index on a scale of 0 to 500, while on Monday it was 276. 

Monday's maximum temperature was recorded at 43.4 degree Celsius, three degrees above the season's average, while the minimum temperature was recorded at 27.2 degrees Celsius, a notch above the season's average.