49°C: High humidity leads to soaring real feel temp

It was an overcast and muggy Thursday in the Capital, with scattered rain and high humidity pushing the ‘real feel’ temperature close to 49°C.

- Jasjeev Gandhiok

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast similar conditions on Friday, with an increase in rainfall likely from Saturday. A yellow alert for light to moderate showers is in place for the weekend.

Delhi’s maximum temperature settled at 36.9°C, one degree below normal. However, humidity levels fluctuating between 59% and 89% drove the Heat Index — or ‘real feel’ temperature — to 48.9°C at 2.30pm and 48.2°C at 5.30pm.

The wet bulb temperature, another marker of thermal discomfort, stood at 29.38°C and 29.57°C at those respective times.

A wet bulb temperature above 32°C is considered dangerous, as it hampers the body's ability to cool itself. At 35°C, heat becomes unsurvivable even for healthy individuals in the shade.