Delhi’s ‘feels like’ temperature hits 51°C amid humid heat; rain relief likely from Monday

Delhi witnessed one of the most uncomfortable days of the summer as the city’s heat index, or “feels-like” temperature, soared to 51.3°C, while the peak wet-bulb temperature reached 29.77°C, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Despite forecasts of rainfall and thunderstorms over the weekend, the city remained hot and humid, with humidity levels ranging between 35% and 63%. Weather experts said high moisture levels are likely to keep conditions muggy over the next few days.

Mahesh Palawat, vice president of Skymet Weather, said southwesterly winds from the Arabian Sea are bringing additional moisture over Pakistan and northwestern India, increasing humidity and pushing up the feels-like temperature.

“Currently, winds from the Bay of Bengal, which are usually associated with the monsoon, are not prevailing, so the heat index is expected to remain high for the next few days,” he said.

Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 41.3°C, which was 4.1 degrees above normal, while the minimum temperature settled at 30.8°C, nearly 3 degrees above normal.

The heat index remained elevated throughout the day, reaching 46.2°C at 11:30 am and 47.8°C at 5:30 pm. Experts explained that higher humidity prevents sweat from evaporating efficiently, making temperatures feel much hotter.

The wet-bulb temperature, another measure of heat stress, touched 29.77°C at 2:30 pm and 28.09°C by 5:30 pm. Experts said prolonged outdoor exposure becomes increasingly risky as wet-bulb temperatures rise, with levels above 32°C making it difficult for even healthy people to work outside for long periods.

According to the IMD forecast, temperatures are expected to remain between 39°C and 41°C until Monday before gradually dropping to 33°C-35°C. Rainfall, thunderstorms and strong winds are likely from Monday to Friday, with a yellow alert issued for Tuesday and Wednesday.

The minimum temperature is also expected to fall, reaching around 21°C to 23°C by Friday.

Palawat said weather activity later this week could bring relief, with scattered rainfall expected around July 2-3 and the monsoon likely to arrive after July 4.