Heatwave season checks out of city
New Delhi: With the monsoon expected to reach the city within the next four days, the heatwave season has officially come to an end. This year, Safdarjung — Delhi's base weather station — recorded only three heatwave days, all in April.
However, some parts of the city experienced up to nine heatwaves in April and June.
Last year, Safdarjung recorded 14 heatwave days in the summer. Regular spells of rain and thunderstorms this year helped keep temperatures in check.
"Heatwave conditions are unlikely now. In this season, only two spells of heatwaves were recorded as showers and thunderstorms led to excess rainfall in north-west India in May," said Krishna Kumar Mishra, scientist,
India Meteorological Department
.
The first streak of heatwave was recorded from April 6 to 10 and Safdarjung reeled under three such days. May was relatively better due to frequent rain and thunderstorms interventions, which prevented the mercury from rising above normal. The second spell of heatwave lasted from June 9 to 12. While on June 9, Ayanagar station met the heatwave criteria, Ayanagar, Lodhi Road and Ridge experienced heatwave conditions on June 10.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Buy Brass Idols - Handmade Brass Statues for Home & Gifting
Luxeartisanship
Buy Now
Undo
Ayanagar again logged heatwave conditions on June 11 but June 12, only one station — Mungeshpur in northwest Delhi — reported heatwave conditions.
Heatwaves are mostly recorded from the second week of April to mid-June. Of the 14 heatwaves recorded last year, six consecutive days were reported from May 26 to 31. Eight additional days were witnessed in June. Though Safdarjung did not record a single heatwave in 2023, the summer of 2022 saw 13 heatwave days, including nine in April and four in May, according to IMD.
Explaining the reason behind Delhi not recording any heatwave in May this time, Mishra said, "There were frequent western disturbances across northwest India, lower-level easterlies from the Bay of Bengal and lower-level south-westerlies from the Arabian Sea in May. Due to these three components, Delhi saw more than normal episodes of rain accompanied by thunderstorms in May."
In May, Safdarjung logged 186.4mm of rainfall, an excess of 507%.
Even before the arrival of the monsoon, June so far has already recorded excess rainfall at 87.8mm against the normal average for the month of 74.1mm.
IMD defines a heatwave day as one when the maximum temperature is 4.5 degrees and more above normal temperature and the maximum is at least 40 degrees Celsius or if the maximum temperature touches 45 degrees Celsius or above. A 'severe' heatwave is when the maximum is 6.5 degrees and more above normal.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
IndiGo Srinagar turbulence: DGCA orders corrective training for pilots, calls for ‘safety over schedule' adherence
IndiGo Srinagar turbulence NEW DELHI: The directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA) has ordered 'corrective training' for the pilots operating IndiGo Delhi-Srinagar flight (6E 2142) of May 21, 2025, which had suffered severe turbulence. The Airbus A321 had encountered a hailstorm enroute and then it had landed safely at Srinagar after declaring an emergency with its radome (nose cone) damaged. 'We have probed this incident. Subsequent to that, we have ordered corrective training for the pilots and also issued a revised operation circular for adverse weather operations to enhance flight safety,' said a senior DGCA official. The revised circular issued indicates the probe found the flight should not have continued its journey to Srinagar through bad weather patch that day. 'Flight crew are advised to maintain heightened vigilance, with an emphasis on safety taking precedence over schedule adherence. Captains are encouraged to initiate diversions or air-turn-backs, as required by prevailing conditions,' it says while 'highlighting the growing impact of climate change on operational unpredictability.' ' Weather Avoidance Planning: Pilots are encouraged to plan deviations early and maintain a minimum 20 nautical mile upwind distance from convective activity. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Buy Brass Idols - Handmade Brass Statues for Home & Gifting Luxeartisanship Buy Now Flying beneath thunderstorm clouds is discouraged due to the elevated risk of windshear, lightning, and hail,' says the revised circular, adding, 'Operators and pilots are advised to adopt a conservative approach to decision-making.. early action enhances flight safety.' The regulator has addressed the issue of 'ice crystal icing, a phenomenon associated with convective weather systems' for the first time in this circular. It has advised pilots 'to navigate around such areas laterally rather than climbing or descending through them in line with global best practices.' It 'sets forth conditions under which flight crew are expected to consider diversion, return, or rerouting due to adverse weather, including severe turbulence, windshear, icing, obstructive thunderstorms, or sudden visibility deterioration. Operators and pilots are advised to adopt a conservative approach to decision-making, emphasising that early action enhances flight safety.' Applicable to flight crew of all scheduled and non-scheduled operators flying during pre-monsoon, monsoon, adverse weather and periods of turbulence, the update introduces 'additional safety measures and guidance aimed at strengthening risk mitigation during adverse weather conditions.' The revised circular emphasises on pilots communicating with 'passengers, cabin crew, and air traffic control (ATC) during adverse weather and turbulence. This includes timely briefings, advance passenger announcements, and turbulence reporting to ATC to support better coordination and situational awareness. The circular says: ' Visual illusion awareness during approach and landing: The revised guidance highlights visual illusions that may occur during night operations in rain or on wet runways. Pilots are reminded to cross-check visual cues with instruments to ensure accurate approach and landing assessments. Mandatory Scenario-Based and Simulator Training: Operators are encouraged to incorporate scenario-based training focused on adverse weather decision-making and the application of threat and error management (TEM) principles. This training is being reinforced through recurrent simulator sessions. Emphasis on pilot weather reports (PIREPs): The value of timely and accurate pilot reports is reaffirmed, with all operators encouraged to foster a reporting culture that enhances collective awareness of in-flight weather conditions. Strict adherence to relevant Civil Aviation Requirements (CARs) particularly those pertaining to Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL), diversion procedures, and harmonized reporting practices, is reiterated to Airlines / Aircraft Operators and flight crew.' This update reflects our continued commitment to addressing operational challenges posed by increasingly unpredictable weather patterns, climate change, and evolving global aviation safety standards,' the regulator says. Operators have been 'instructed to review and revise their internal procedures accordingly and ensure comprehensive dissemination and implementation across their organisations. '
The Hindu
3 hours ago
- The Hindu
Thunderstorm likely in Delhi on June 21: IMD
A thunderstorm is likely in Delhi on Saturday (June 21, 2025) night with the maximum temperature expected to settle around 35 degrees Celsius, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said. The national capital recorded a minimum temperature of 26.8 degrees Celsius, a notch below the season's average, it said. IMD said that the relative humidity was logged at 77 per cent at 8.30 am. The air quality was recorded in the "satisfactory" category at 9 am on Saturday, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) reading of 82, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data showed. According to the CPCB, an AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 to 100 'satisfactory', 101 to 200 'moderate', 201 to 300 'poor', 301 to 400 'very poor', and 401 to 500 'severe'.
NDTV
3 hours ago
- NDTV
Why Are Railway Tracks Buckling In Britain? Know The Reason And Why Services Have To Be Stopped
With temperatures expected to reach record highs across the UK, the public transport network faces a big challenge. Rail routes across England, Scotland and Wales are already experiencing delays, cancellations, and a further increase in mercury could bring the entire network to a standstill. While countries with extreme temperatures are able to maintain and operate their rail networks, why do trains get cancelled when the temperatures reach north of 30 degree Celsius in the UK? As per Network Rail, abnormally high temperatures can cause steel rails across the network to buckle. During a summer heatwave, rails in direct sunlight can be up to 20 degrees Celsius hotter than the air temperature. "Because rails are made from steel, they expand as they get hotter, and can start to curve. This is known as buckling," Network Rail explained. Most of the network can operate when track temperatures hit up to 46 degree Celsius. However, with temperatures in parts of the UK set to hit 32 degree Celsius this weekend, parts of the rails may start to buckle. When the remote monitoring systems detect that a section of track might be expanding too much, the authorities are forced to introduce local speed restrictions. Slower trains exert lower forces on the track, reducing the chance of buckling. However, despite slowing the trains, the railway lines can still buckle. When this happens, the entire line is closed and repaired before trains can run again. This closure causes cancellations and inevitable delays. 40 degrees Celsius summer Earlier this week, the Met Office warned that the UK is now 20 times more likely to witness 40 degrees Celsius heat than it was in the 1960s. "Because our climate continues to warm, we can expect the chance [of 40 C heat] to keep rising. We estimate a 50-50 chance of seeing a 40 C day again in the next 12 years," Dr Gillian Kay, lead author of a Met Office study into heatwaves, told Metro. "We also found that temperatures several degrees higher than we saw in July 2022 are possible in today's climate." She warned that the UK must 'prepare for even higher heat extremes in the near future'. When UK temperatures went over 40C for the first time that year, it was seen as a shocking outlier.
