Delhi heat wave: No respite as Palam records 47.8°C

New Delhi: Intense heat, extreme hot winds and power cuts continued to make life miserable in the national capital Sunday with the maximum temperature settling at five notches above the season’s average at 45.1 degrees Celsius. No relief is expected Monday, officials said. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Monday will see clear skies and the searing heat will continue to wreak havoc on Delhiites. [caption id=“attachment_1561381” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. AFP[/caption] The maximum temperature is likely to hover around 45 degrees Celsius, while the minimum is expected to settle around 30 degrees Celsius. Palam in southwest Delhi recorded a temperature of 47.8 degrees Celsius, breaking a 70-year-old record, said Met officials. The heat wave and the scorching sun made life miserable and many people chose to remain indoors on Sunday, leaving the roads deserted during the day. “It’s too hot here. I don’t step out if I don’t have some urgent work and whenever I go out, I carry an umbrella, a scarf and water. Even these precautions do not help in this unbearable heat,” said Delhi resident Ruchi Sharma. Arvind Chibbar, a sales professional working in south Delhi’s Lajpat Nagar who commutes on a scooter, said: “The heat has taken a toll on my health. There is no respite from this weather. I feel like my skin is burning. I just hope the monsoon comes soon.” Saturday was the hottest June 7 in the last five years, with the maximum temperature recorded five notches above average at 44.9 degrees Celsius and the minimum recorded three notches above average at 30.8 degrees Celsius. As power cuts continue in Delhi, Lt. Governor Najeeb Sunday reviewed the power situation at a special meeting and ordered the adoption of several measures to deal with the power shortage. He directed the power distribution companies to announce a schedule for power cuts to people in advance and stop electricity supply to malls after 10 p.m. Jung also appealed to the people of Delhi to bear with the situation, as the city was trying to cope with the damage caused to its transmission towers and power lines in the recent thunderstorms. IANS