New Delhi, June 13 (IANS) Residents of the national capital may finally get some relief from the relentless heat, as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted thunderstorms and rainfall later on Friday, which are expected to ease the sweltering conditions that have gripped Delhi and surrounding regions for the past several days.

Speaking to IANS, IMD scientist Akhil Srivastava said: “The maximum temperature in Delhi-NCR remains high, and the night temperature is also above normal. Due to these conditions, we had issued a red alert on Thursday. For June 13, we are expecting hot and humid conditions during the day, with a possibility of a heatwave in some parts of the region. Accordingly, we have issued an orange to red alert for today.”

Srivastava added that thunderstorm activity is anticipated by Friday night, with wind speeds ranging from 40 to 60 km/h.

“This weather pattern may persist for the next two to three days, which is likely to bring down the maximum temperature,” he said.

“Currently, Delhi is recording temperatures around 44 degrees Celsius. We expect this to fall to around 40 degrees Celsius by June 15 or 16.”

Srivastava also said that northwestern India is also expected to remain hot, with no significant change in maximum temperatures over the next 48–72 hours.

“We estimate a potential drop of 2 to 4 degrees Celsius in the coming days. However, western Rajasthan will continue to face severe heat conditions, for which a red alert has been issued. Warm night conditions are being observed across the region, with night temperatures also staying above average, increasing the overall impact.”

The IMD has issued red alerts for Punjab and Haryana for the next two days due to expected extreme conditions. Rajasthan is also under a red alert for Friday, which will be followed by an orange alert for the next two days. In Uttar Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir, orange alerts have been issued as cooler weather is expected over the weekend.

Srivastava also noted a likelihood of light to very light rainfall in parts of Delhi, associated with the thunderstorm activity.

“While the intensity of the rainfall may be low, it will contribute to a temporary cooling effect and offer some respite from the oppressive heat.”

Responding to whether this summer has been hotter than usual, Srivastava said: “Heatwaves are not new to Delhi or North India. We witnessed similar extreme temperatures last year as well. It would not be accurate to say this year is significantly worse; rather, such patterns are becoming increasingly frequent.”

–IANS

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