Delhi felt like 53.5°C though IMD says no heat wave
Delhi felt seriously hot and sticky on Tuesday, with the feels-like temperature spiking to a wild 53.5 degrees Celsius by evening, even though India Meteorological Department (IMD) says it didn't technically count as a heat wave.
Actual highs were still well above normal: Safdarjung hit 40.5 degrees Celsius and Ridge reached 41.5 degrees Celsius.
Other spots like Palam and Lodhi Road also crossed 40 degrees Celsius, while minimum temperatures stayed unusually high across the city.
Mahesh Palawat says clouds prevented relief
Blame a mix of dry winds from Pakistan and humid air from the Arabian Sea: this combination brought clouds but almost no rain, so relief was basically missing in action.
Mahesh Palawat from Skymet explained that late cloud cover after peak afternoon heat just made things worse, since the combination of dry and moist air kept humidity high, both maximum and feel-like temperatures remained unusually high for everyone trying to get through the day.