New Delhi: Already reeling under a deadly heat wave, a few places in Delhi are likely to see the mercury touch the 46-degree Celsius mark on Friday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. The Safdarjung observatory - Delhi's base station - had recorded a maximum temperature of 43.5 degrees Celsius on Thursday, the highest in April in 12 years. The national capital had recorded a maximum temperature of 43.7 degrees Celsius on April 18, 2010. The all-time high temperature for the month is 45.6 degrees Celsius, which was recorded on April 29, 1941.
"The temperature at the Safdarjung observatory is likely to go up by 0.5 degree Celsius to 1 degree Celsius on Friday. It may even touch 46 degrees Celsius at some places," senior scientist RK Jenamani said. Haryana, Delhi, western Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh are likely to log peak temperatures on Friday, he added. Rajasthan, Delhi, Punjab and Haryana may witness light rain and thunderstorm between May 2 and May 4. The maximum temperature will be between 36 degrees and 39 degrees Celsius, Jenamani said.
The IMD has issued an "orange" alert, warning people of a severe heat wave in many parts of Delhi on Friday and Saturday. The Met department uses four colour codes for weather warnings - "green" (no action needed), "yellow" (watch and stay updated), "orange" (be prepared) and "red" (take action). Amid the rising heat and growing power demand, the Delhi government on Thursday warned of a possible setback in providing uninterrupted electricity supply for critical services in the capital, including Metro trains and hospitals.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday said his government is somehow handling the power supply situation in Delhi and called for quick, concrete steps to tackle the electricity crisis facing the country. The IMD said Delhi may also see a partly cloudy sky, light rain and a dust storm with winds gusting up to 50 kilometres per hour on Friday and Sunday, which may provide temporary respite. The heat wave is expected to abate from Monday under the influence of a western disturbance, which is likely to affect northwest India from the night of May 1, it said.