Temperature will rise in the national capital from Saturday, mercury expected to reach 44 degree Celsius

(IMD) said that cloudy skies, strong winds, and light rain in some parts of Delhi kept the mercury under control on Friday, while the temperature is expected to reach 44 degrees Celsius next week due to a heatwave. Delhi's base station Safdarjung Observatory recorded a maximum temperature of 38.4 degrees Celsius, which is normal for this time of year. At the same time, the minimum temperature was recorded at 24.2 degrees Celsius. Strong winds gusting up to 30 kmph lashed the national capital, while light rain was recorded in Lodhi Road, Safdarjung, Pitampura, and Ridge areas.

IMD scientist Charan Singh said, "The city received 'very light' to 'light' rain due to local development. Due to the winds coming from the Arabian Sea or the Bay of Bengal, some moisture has come due to which clouds have formed, hence it has rained.

The IMD said, a fresh heatwave will prevail from Monday and the mercury may touch 44 degrees Celsius on Tuesday. After a long wait, hailstorms and light rain were seen at isolated places in Delhi on Wednesday. The city witnessed a hot and dry March, with zero rainfall compared to the normal 15.9 mm. April received 0.3 mm of rain against the monthly average of 12.2 mm.