Officials said today that the Safdarjung Observatory, Delhi’s primary weather station has not recorded any heat wave in the pre-monsoon season for the first time since 2014.

However, they reported that a few isolated regions experienced heatwave conditions for a brief period in April and May.

This May, traditionally the hottest month in Delhi, with a mean maximum temperature of 39.5 degrees Celsius, has had below-average temperatures and excessive rain.

Meteorologists blamed the phenomena on higher-than-normal western disturbances – weather systems that originate in the Mediterranean region and bring unusually heavy rain to northwest India – during the pre-monsoon season (March to May).

The head of the Regional Forecasting Centre of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Kuldeep Srivastava said, “Usually, five to six western disturbances are recorded in the northern plains in April and May. We saw 10 western disturbances, mostly strong ones, this time”.

The Maximum temperature was recorded above the 40-degree mark for just nine days in May with heatwave conditions affecting some parts for two days.

According to IMD data, in May, the Safdarjung Observatory recorded 86.7 mm of rain. The national capital receives 19.7 mm of rain each month on average.

The city received more than 20 mm of rain in April, the most in a single month since 2017, and saw scorching conditions in isolated regions.

During the pre-monsoon period this year, Delhi received 158 percent more rainfall — 161.2 mm vs an average of 62.6 mm — than usual.

Mr. Srivastava further said, “The Safdarjung Observatory, which is representative of Delhi, has not recorded any heat wave in the pre-monsoon season this year. This has happened for the first time since 2014”.

Last year, the weather station recorded 13 heatwave days during the pre-monsoon season — nine in April and four in May.

During this time period, there was only one heatwave day in 2021, four in 2020, and one in 2019.

A heat wave is declared when the maximum temperature at a station is at least 40 degrees Celsius in the plains, 37 degrees in coastal areas, and 30 degrees in hilly areas, and the deviation from normal is at least 4.5 degrees.

Beginning June 1, a new western disturbance will bring gusty winds and rain to the plains, including Delhi, according to the IMD.

The maximum temperature is expected to stay below 40 degrees until June 5.

The weather department office predicted lower-than-average maximum temperatures and fewer hot days in northwest India earlier this month.

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