Delhi suffers hot and humid day as monsoon trough moves away

New Delhi
Clear skies, lack of rain and easterly winds made it a hot and humid Monday for Delhi, with the maximum temperature rising to 38.4°C, three degrees above the normal. High humidity levels, however, propelled the heat index or “real feel” temperature to a peak of 54°C in the afternoon.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted marginal relief on Tuesday and Wednesday, forecasting the monsoon trough will move closer to Delhi again, bringing rain and a slight cooling effect.
“There is a yellow alert for both Tuesday and Wednesday, with light to moderate rain expected. On Wednesday, some parts of Delhi may even record heavy rainfall,” an IMD official said.
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The relative humidity oscillated between 59% and 85% throughout the day, which, combined with bright sunshine, made it feel much hotter than the maximum temperature and made it uncomfortable and prickly outdoors.
Delhi’s wet bulb temperature — another indicator of thermal discomfort outside — was 30.6°C at 2.30pm on Monday. The highest recorded wet-bulb temperature for Delhi this season was 30.9°C, on July 21.
A wet bulb temperature of 32°C or higher makes it difficult for even fit and acclimatised people to work outdoors for long, and at a wet bulb temperature of 35°C — the maximum threshold — humans can no longer regulate body temperatures, leading to heatstroke and potential collapse.
Mahesh Palawat, vice president at Skymet, a private weather forecaster, said the monsoon trough has shifted closer towards central India, with Delhi-NCR recording almost a clear sky on Monday. “We still have moisture, but with clouds missing, we saw bright sunshine. Both these factors combined to make it a sultry day outside,” he said, adding that the monsoon trough is likely to get closer to Delhi-NCR by Wednesday, bringing more rain.
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According to IMD data, no rain was recorded at any weather station in the Capital between 8.30am and 5.30pm. Till Monday, the monthly rainfall recorded at the Safdarjung weather station, which is representative of Delhi’s weather, was 203.7mm. The normal monthly average for rainfall in July is 209.7mm.
Delhi’s minimum temperature was also on the higher side on Monday, at 29.1°C, two notches above the normal. The forecast for Tuesday predicted similar maximum and minimum temperatures.
Despite no rain, Delhi’s air quality improved on Monday, logging an air quality index of 76, classified as “satisfactory” according to the Central Pollution Control Board’s daily bulletin.