 "Delhi Pollution")
A 'severe heatwave' scorched Delhi on Friday with the city recording a maximum temperature of 41.6 degrees Celsius, seven notches above normal and the highest so far this year, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
The meteorological office has issued an orange alert, warning of a 'severe heatwave' in the national capital on Saturday too.
The IMD uses four colour codes for weather warnings -- green (no action needed), yellow (watch and stay updated), orange (be prepared) and red (take action).
Barring two, all automatic weather stations in the city recorded maximum temperatures above 42 degrees Celsius, IMD data showed.
The maximum temperature at most places in Delhi settled at least seven degrees above normal.
The Safdarjung Observatory, which provides representative data for the city, recorded a maximum temperature of 41.6 degrees Celsius.
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The weather stations at Mungeshpur, Najafgarh, Pitampura and Sports Complex recorded maximum temperatures of 43 degrees Celsius, 43.3 degrees Celsius, 43.4 degrees Celsius, and 43.9 degrees Celsius, respectively.
The heatwave is likely to further intensify. The maximum temperature at the Safdarjung Observatory may touch the 42-degree mark on Saturday, the IMD said.
Cloudy conditions may bring some relief from the stifling heat from Tuesday, it said.
Parts of the national capital have been reeling under a heatwave since last week with the maximum temperature hovering above 40 degrees Celsius.
IMD officials said a prolonged dry spell has led to "severe" hot weather conditions in northwest India.
The weather department said northwest India and adjoining parts of central India are predicted to see more intense and frequent heatwave conditions in April.
"The frequency of intense heatwave conditions will be higher in April as compared to March. We expect the heatwave conditions to continue till April 15 in some parts," an official said.
Mahesh Palawat, Vice-President (Meteorology And Climate Change), Skymet Weather, said it is an aberration that the maximum temperature has breached the 45-degree mark in parts of northwest India in the first 10 days of April.
There has been nil pre-monsoon activity, including dust storms and thundershowers, in the region so far. Long-range models have also not predicted any significant weather system in the next 15 days, he said.
There is a good chance that Delhi may record a higher-than-usual number of heatwave days in April, Palawat said.
The capital has already recorded two heatwave days this month and the ongoing heatwave spell is likely to persist for another three to four days, he said.
For the plains, a 'heatwave' is declared when the maximum temperature is over 40 degrees Celsius and at least 4.5 notches above normal. A 'severe heatwave' is declared if the departure from normal temperature is more than 6.4 notches, according to the IMD.
This year, India recorded its warmest March in 122 years with a severe heatwave scorching large swathes of the country during the month.
The weather department attributed the heat to the lack of rainfall due to the absence of active western disturbances over north India and any major system over south India.
The country as a whole recorded 8.9 mm of rainfall, which was 71 per cent less than its long period average rainfall of 30.4 mm. It was also the third-lowest precipitation in March since 1901 after 7.2 mm in 1909 and 8.7 mm in 1908.
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