‘Loo’ (‘Loo’) unlikely till June 4

New Delhi. In the national capital on Monday, the weather became pleasant again due to rain with strong winds and cloudy sky. The regional forecasting center of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has said that heatwave(‘Loo’)  conditions are unlikely to return to the capital till June 4. An IMD official said that winds with a speed of 50 kilometers per hour gusted in the capital on Monday afternoon and there was light rain in many areas. The Meteorological Department has issued a ‘yellow’ alert, warning people of traffic disruption and water-logging in low-lying areas. The IMD uses four color codes for weather warnings: green (no action needed), yellow (watch and stay updated), orange (be prepared) and red (take action).

According to Safdarjung Observatory, Delhi’s main meteorological center, the minimum temperature on Monday was recorded five degrees below normal at 21.8 degrees Celsius. While the maximum temperature is likely to be around 35 degree Celsius. The month of May is generally the hottest month in Delhi with an average maximum temperature of 39.5°C. But, this time in May, below normal temperature and excessive rainfall have been recorded. Meteorologists attributed the phenomenon to a higher-than-usual Western Disturbance – a weather system that originates in the Mediterranean region and brings unseasonal rains to northwest India this season.

According to IMD data, the Safdarjung observatory has recorded 86.7 mm of rain so far in May. Normally, the national capital receives an average of 19.7 mm of rainfall throughout the month. Delhi also witnessed an unusual phenomenon of dense fog earlier this month. The minimum temperature on May 4 had dropped to 15.8 degrees Celsius, the third coldest morning for the month of May since the IMD began keeping records in 1901. The city recorded over 20 mm of rainfall in April, the highest for the month since 2017. Delhi recorded maximum temperature above 40 degrees Celsius only for nine days in May

According to IMD, due to the effect of fresh Western Disturbance, there is a possibility of rain and hailstorm with strong winds at some places on Monday and Tuesday. The maximum temperature is expected to remain below 40 degree Celsius till June 4. Earlier this month, the weather office predicted below-normal maximum temperatures and fewer days with ‘heatwave’ conditions in northwest India in May.