New Delhi, June 29 (IANS) Delhi-NCR woke up to warm and humid conditions on Monday morning, with residents continuing to grapple with uncomfortable weather amid the delayed arrival of the monsoon.

Residents may get relief from the scorching heat as cloudy skies and spells of rain are expected in parts of the national capital region. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has indicated chances of showers accompanied by thunderstorms and strong winds in Delhi-NCR as monsoon conditions become more favourable over North India.

The IMD on Sunday said weather conditions are becoming favourable for the further advance of the southwest monsoon across several parts of North India over the next five to six days, even as Delhi continued to battle scorching heat and unusually warm conditions due to the delayed arrival of seasonal rains.

In its latest weather bulletin, the IMD said the monsoon is expected to progress into more parts of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand over the next two to three days. During the following two to three days, the rain-bearing system is also likely to extend into additional areas of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, along with parts of Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, and southeast Rajasthan.

Despite the expected monsoon advance, the weather department has issued a warning for heatwave conditions, with severe heat likely to prevail over parts of Uttar Pradesh on July 28 and 29.

Private weather forecasting agency Skymet has predicted that the southwest monsoon may reach Delhi around July 4, provided the current atmospheric conditions remain favourable.

Meanwhile, the national capital recorded its warmest morning in nearly two years, with the minimum temperature settling at 31.1 degrees Celsius, which was 3.2 degrees above the seasonal average. The maximum temperature climbed to 41.8 degrees Celsius, intensifying discomfort across the city.

The last time Delhi witnessed a higher minimum temperature was on June 14, 2024, when it was recorded at 33.3 degrees Celsius.

According to the IMD, heatwave conditions have set in across the national capital. The city’s “feels-like” temperature, or heat index, was estimated at around 50.7 degrees Celsius on Sunday evening due to the combined effect of high temperatures and elevated humidity. The department, however, has forecast thunderstorms accompanied by rainfall for Monday, offering some hope of relief.

Delhi’s actual maximum temperature was also reported at 41.3 degrees Celsius, around 4.1 degrees above normal on Sunday. The heat index touched 51.3 degrees Celsius, indicating how oppressive the weather felt because of persistent humidity rather than the actual air temperature.

Meteorologists attributed the extreme discomfort to a high wet-bulb temperature of 29.77 degrees Celsius, coupled with humidity levels ranging between 35 and 63 per cent throughout the day. These conditions reduce the body’s ability to cool itself through sweating, making the weather feel significantly hotter.

The IMD said humidity is expected to remain high over the next few days, resulting in continued hot, humid and uncomfortable weather in Delhi until the monsoon arrives.

Elsewhere, Uttar Pradesh also experienced intense heat. Prayagraj recorded a maximum temperature of 43.4 degrees Celsius, while Lucknow registered 39.7 degrees Celsius, which was 3.6 degrees above normal. The weather office has forecast isolated heatwave conditions and thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds in parts of eastern Uttar Pradesh over the next 24 hours.

–IANS

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