Delhi residents are waking up to an intensely hot and oppressive Sunday morning. Even as heavy humidity continues to grip the national capital, relief might be on the horizon. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast partly cloudy skies, gusty winds, and localised thunderstorms later in the day. Strong surface winds of 20 to 30 kmph, with occasional gusts up to 40 kmph, are expected to sweep across isolated places in Delhi-NCR.The maximum temperature is expected to range from 39°C to 41°C, while the minimum is likely to range from 28°C to 30°C. This forecast follows a brutal Saturday where extreme humidity levels pushed Delhi’s heat index, or the “feels-like” temperature, to highly uncomfortable thresholds. According to official weather assessments, the heat index peaked at an unbearable 51.3°C around 2:30 pm, marking it the highest recorded real-feel temperature this season.Sharp Rise in Delhi Humidity LevelsMeteorologists have attributed this steep rise in apparent temperature to elevated atmospheric moisture, with relative humidity standing at 45% during the peak afternoon hours. Safdarjung, the primary weather station for the capital city, recorded an official maximum temperature of 41.3°C on Saturday, which is 4.1 degrees above the normal seasonal average. The city's nighttime temperature offered little comfort, settling at a minimum of 30.8°C—nearly three notches above normal.Other key weather stations across Delhi-NCR also recorded above-normal temperatures. Palam recorded a minimum temperature of 28.4°C, Lodhi Road saw 29.8°C, the Ridge area settled at 26.8°C, and Ayanagar recorded 29.3°C.Yellow Alert Issued as Rain and Thunderstorms ApproachThe IMD has indicated that relief from this stifling heat is likely over the coming days. A yellow alert has been officially issued for Tuesday and Wednesday, with forecasts predicting light rain, widespread thunderstorms, and gusty winds tracking across multiple parts of the city. This upcoming rainfall activity is expected to gradually pull down daytime temperatures, easing the maximum temperature to a more manageable 35°C to 37°C range by Wednesday.Delhi Misses Normal Monsoon Onset DateMeanwhile, Delhi has officially missed its normal southwest monsoon onset date of June 27. While the IMD has not announced a finalised revised arrival date for the capital, weather scientists noted that atmospheric conditions are steadily becoming favourable for the monsoon to advance further into parts of northern and central India over the next few days. Despite the harsh weather conditions, Delhi’s air quality remained manageable, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded in the 'moderate' category at 130.
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