Met forecasts cloudy conditions in Delhi till Thursday, heat wave unlikely for next six days

Delhi can expect cloudy weather and light rain on Wednesday and Thursday and heatwave conditions are unlikely to return to the national capital until June 27, the India Meteorological Department's forecast shows. The city witnessed intermittent rain over the last few days under the influence of the remnants of Cyclone Biparjoy.

The Safdarjung Observatory, Delhi's primary weather station, recorded a minimum temperature of 27.4 degree Celsius. The maximum temperature is predicted to settle around 38 degree Celsius. Maximum temperatures are expected to remain below the 40-degree Celsius mark for the next five to six days.

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The Safdarjung Observatory has gauged 20.3 mm rainfall against a normal of 38.3 mm so far, a deficit of 47 per cent. The India Meteorological Department's (IMD) extended range model guidance shows an upswing in rain over northwest India in the last week of June.

However, the Met office is yet to announce a date for the arrival of monsoon in Delhi. Normally, the rain-bearing system reaches the national capital by June 27. The Safdarjung Observatory has not recorded any heat wave so far this year, with meteorologists attributing it to higher-than-usual western disturbances -- weather systems that originate in the Mediterranean region and bring unseasonal rainfall to northwest India -- this pre-monsoon season (March to May).

According to IMD data, Delhi recorded 111 mm rainfall in May, 262 per cent higher than the long-term average of 30.7 mm and the fourth highest in the month since the Met office started maintaining records. The city logged more than 20 mm of rainfall in April, the highest in the month since 2017, and heatwave conditions at isolated pockets.

On Wednesday, rain lashed parts of Delhi-NCR, leading to traffic jams in many places.