The Safdarjung Observatory, which provides official data for the city, registered a maximum temperature of 43.1úC (109úF) and a minimum of 31.7úC (89úF), the Zee News agency reported.

The Mungeshpur control station, on its side, reported a maximum of 45.2úC (113úF), the highest in the city and eight degrees above normal.

On the other hand, meteorologists indicated that there is no chance that the monsoon season will reach the capital and adjacent areas before July 7th, and even after that the region will witness below normal rainfall until mid-July.

A heat wave is highly likely to occur in Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi states, as well as parts of Uttar Pradesh, northern Rajasthan and northwestern Madhya Pradesh until July 2, experts said.

New Delhi registered its first heat wave of this season on Tuesday, with temperatures rising to 43úC (109úF), with thermometers reading 43.6úC (110úF) on Wednesday.

The specialists asserted that the delay in the arrival of the monsoons can affect agricultural operations, such as planting and transplanting crops, and irrigation scheduling in the states of Punjab and Haryana, considered the ‘food bowl’ of the country.

pgh/llp/oda/abm