Temperature likely to touch 40°C in Gurgaon, heatwave alert from April 25-29

Gurgaon: The city on Thursday recorded a minimum temperature of 21 degrees Celsius, 1.4 notches up from the previous day's 19.6 degrees Celsius and the maximum temperature settled at 39.1 degrees Celsius, 1.2 degrees higher than the previous day's 37.9 degrees Celsius.

With this, the mercury edged closer to the heatwave threshold. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the maximum temperature is likely to breach the 40 degrees mark on Friday. A heatwave alert has been issued for various parts of the state, including Gurgaon, from April 25 to 29.

In the plains, heatwave is declared when the maximum temperature reaches 40 degrees Celsius or more or is at least 4.5 degrees above the seasonal normal. If it exceeds the normal by 6.4 degrees Celsius, it is classified as a severe heatwave.

"Both maximum and minimum temperatures across the state are likely to increase by 3 to 5 degrees Celsius during the next few days," said a senior IMD official.

The rise in mercury levels is attributed to the prevailing dry and hot northwesterly winds across the region.