Weather LIVE Updates: Rains Lash Parts of Odisha, T’gana, Chandigarh as Heatwave Recedes in India; Dust Storm Forecast in Delhi

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert, warning of a dust storm or thunderstorm with winds gusting up to 50 kilometres per hour in the national capital on Wednesday. There is also a possibility of very light rain in parts of the city. The maximum temperature at the Safdarjung Observatory, Delhi’s base station, is likely to settle around 38 degrees Celsius. The minimum temperature was recorded at 28.8 degrees Celsius which was four notches above normal for this time of the year.

Worried about their children’s health due to extreme heat, parents here have asked the Delhi government to either revise the school timings or advance the summer holidays. Several schools have already announced reduction in outdoor activities in view of the sweltering heat coupled with the ongoing spike in the number of Covid cases. However, parents claim the school timings are not feasible for students to step out in this extreme heat. The Haryana government on Monday announced that due to intense heatwave prevalent throughout the state, the timings of all schools — government and private –will be from 7 am to 12 pm for Classes 1 to 12 with effect from May 4. However, no such measures have been announced in Delhi yet.

Boudh recorded the second-highest temperature in the country on Tuesday as parts of Odisha boiled in the blazing sun, with 18 weather stations recording a maximum of 40 degrees Celsius or more, the Met office said. Rain along with thunderstorms occurred in several places including Bhubaneswar and Cuttack. The maximum temperature rose by around 1-2 degrees Celsius in some places and was above normal in several towns, the Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre said. The temperature soared to 44.5 degrees Celsius in Boudh, the second-highest along with two other weather stations in the country. Chandrapur in Maharashtra saw the day’s highest maximum temperature at 45.2 degrees Celsius, the Met said.

The people of the state got some relief from the blistering heat as the mercury dropped by two to four degrees Celsius on Tuesday in most parts of Rajasthan, a Meteorological department spokesperson said. The maximum temperature in Kota was recorded at 42.8 degrees Celsius, followed by 42.3 degrees Celsius in Sri Ganganagar, 42 degrees Celsius in Alwar, 41.7 degrees Celsius each in Pilani and Churu, 41.4 degrees Celsius in Phalodi, 40.3 degrees Celsius in Barmer and Jaipur, 40 degrees Celsius each in Bikaner and Sikar.

Other major places in the state recorded maximum temperature between 39.8 and 37.4 degrees Celsius on Tuesday. Monday night temperature was recorded in the range of 31.9 degrees Celsius to 25.5 degrees Celsius in most parts of the state. The department has predicted thunderstorms and dust storms in Bharatpur, Baran, Dholpur, Jhunjhunu, Sikar, Sawai Madhopur, Bikaner, Churu, Sri Ganganagar in the next 24 hours.