Delhi logged its hottest day of the year on Sunday, clocking a maximum temperature of 41.1°C, which was two degrees above normal and a one degree rise from the day before, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Warmer days have been predicted in the short term, with the temperature likely to cross 42°C by Tuesday, it said.

Although a western disturbance was supposed to bring gusty winds and light rain to the city on Saturday, IMD officials blamed weak thunderclouds that formed only in parts of southwest Delhi and Haryana.

“On Saturday morning, a drizzle was recorded near Jafarpur, but was not recorded at any weather station. Since this western disturbance was fairly weak, we did not see sufficient cloudiness or rain, which meant mercury began to rise from Saturday. With clear skies prevailing, this will only rise further in the coming days,” Kuldeep Srivastava, an IMD scientist, said.

Delhi’s maximum temperature on Saturday was 40.3°C, while the previous highest was 40.5°C, recorded on April 26.

Recordings from the Safdarjung observatory are considered the benchmark for Delhi, but other observatories recorded higher temperatures on the day. The Sports Complex station (Akshardham) in east Delhi logged a maximum temperature of 44°C and the Pitampura station, a maximum of 43.4°C.