New Delhi, March 31 : There will be no respite from the scorching heat for the residents of Delhi for third day in a row, as the India Meteorological Department has predicted the maximum temperature reaching up to 40 degree Celsius in the next two days. The Met department said similar ‘severe’ hot weather conditions were likely to persist for the next four to five days, caused by a prolonged dry spell across the northern parts of the country. “Heat Wave Spell likely to continue over Central & West India during next 4-5 days and Reduction in intensity of Heat Wave Spell over Northwest India during 01st-03rd April, 2022,” IMD tweeted. As per IMD, reduction in the intensity of heat wave spell over northwest India will be witnessed between April 1 and 3. On Wednesday, the maximum temperature at Safdarjung was recorded at 39.6 degrees Celsius, eight notches above the season’s average, against 39.2 degrees. This is the second-highest maximum temperature for March since 1951, after 40.1 degrees in 2021 and 39.6 degrees in 1973. While the minimum temperature was recorded at 19.4 degrees, a notch above the season’s average. Chandrapur in Maharashtra recorded the highest maximum temperature across India at 44.2 degrees, followed by Akola (Maharashtra) at 43.2 degrees. The IMD also predicted heat wave in eastern parts of the country for the next two days. “Isolated heat wave conditions over Jharkhand & interior Odisha during 30th March-01st April; over Gangetic West Bengal on 31st March & 01st April; over Chhattisgarh during 31st March-02nd April,” it tweeted. JA RJ