Delhi reels under sultry weather

The maximum temperature is likely to remain in the higher 30s for the next few days, as only isolated light rains are expected during this period, the weatherman said. Despite the monsoon arriving early in the national capital, rains have remained subdued so far, with the city recording 46 per cent rainfall deficiency.

Hot and humid weather caused inconvenience to the residents in the national capital on Tuesday as rain continued to play truant. The Safdarjung Observatory, which provides representative figures for the city, recorded a maximum of 38.5 degrees Celsius, three notches more than normal.

The mercury oscillated between 37 degrees Celsius and 40 degrees Celsius in the rest of the areas. Humidity levels shot up 83 percent.   The maximum temperature is likely to remain in the higher 30s for the next few days, as only isolated light rains are expected during this period, the weatherman said. Despite the monsoon arriving early in the national capital, rains have remained subdued so far, with the city recording 46 per cent rainfall deficiency.  Kuldeep Srivastava, the head of the regional forecasting center of the IMD, said only on and off light rains are expected over the next few days.  In July so far, the Safdarjung Observatory has gauged 44 mm rainfall against a normal of 78.2 mm, a deficiency of 44 percent.  The Lodhi Road weather station has recorded 50.1 mm rainfall which is 36 percent less than the normal of 78.2 mm.   Since June 1, when the monsoon season begins, the city has recorded just 80 mm rainfall against the normal of 147.2, a deficiency of 46 percent.      According to the India Meteorological Department, the monsoon reached Delhi on June 25, two days earlier than the usual date of June 27.

Normal rainfall was predicted in the national capital during the season..