Mercury touched 48 degrees Celsius in Delhi’s Palam area today – creating a record high for the national capital in June — as north India struggles under an unrelenting heat wave. The temperature, however, was lower at Safdarjung, roughly 14 km away. The temperature recorded there was 45.6 degrees Celsius.
‘It was 48 degrees at Palam today, an all-time high. The earlier high was 47.8 degrees Celsius recorded on June 9, 2014,” Mahesh Palawat of Skymet said.
The all-time record for Delhi is that of 48.4 degrees Celsius, recorded on May 26, 1998. In May 2016, Phalodi in Rajasthan recorded India’s highest-ever temperature of 51 Celsius (123.8 Fahrenheit).
Some relief is expected only after tomorrow night — the Indian Meteorological Office has predicted thunderstorm with “gusty winds”.
IMD scientist Devendra Pradhan said, “We issued a red alert this morning for Delhi. People can expect some decline in temperature only from June 12.”