On Monday, Delhi saw its hottest September day in at least 14 years. The maximum temperature on Monday was 40.1 degrees Celsius, six degrees above the normal for this time of the year. This is also the highest maximum temperature recorded in September from at least 2009 onwards, data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) shows.

The all-time record for the highest maximum temperature in September is 40.6 degrees Celsius, recorded in 1938, going by IMD data.

The rise in temperature comes with clear skies and low rainfall – the month of August, usually the rainiest for the city, saw a 61% deficit in rainfall in Delhi, while September so far has also seen no rain, when the normal for the month till September 4 is 32.4 mm.

The IMD forecast indicates that very light rainfall is expected in Delhi on Tuesday and Wednesday, while the rest of the week is set to remain dry. The maximum temperature could range from 35 to 37 degrees Celsius over the next six days.