Delhi continued to reel under intense heat on Wednesday, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) warning that heatwave conditions are likely to persist through the day even as rainfall later this week is expected to bring relief across the capital.A lady offers water to a child amid scorching heat in New Delhi. (Raj K Raj/HT Photo)The city’s base weather station at Safdarjung recorded a minimum temperature of 26.2°C, near normal for this time of the year. On Tuesday, Safdarjung recorded a maximum temperature of 43.5°C, three degrees above normal.The IMD said maximum temperatures are expected to remain between 44°C and 46°C on Wednesday.The highest temperature in the capital a day earlier was recorded at Ayanagar, where the mercury touched 44.8°C. Residents across Delhi reported deserted streets during peak afternoon hours and rising discomfort due to prolonged exposure to extreme heat.The IMD has issued a yellow alert for Wednesday, cautioning residents about possible heatwave conditions. The minimum temperature on Tuesday was 26.8°C, considered near normal for late May.However, weather officials said relief is likely to begin from Thursday as a western disturbance is expected to affect northwest India. Light rainfall and gusty winds are forecast across Delhi-NCR on Thursday and Friday, which could bring temperatures down significantly.“The maximum temperature will start dipping from Thursday onwards. Peak impact over Delhi-NCR is likely from Friday, with temperatures expected to remain below 40°C till Sunday,” an IMD official said.Weather officials said minimum temperatures are likely to hover between 28°C and 30°C over the next two days before conditions begin to stabilise with the expected rainfall.Meanwhile, Delhi’s air quality showed signs of improvement. The city’s Air Quality Index (AQI), which stood at 304 in the ‘very poor’ category at 9am on Tuesday, improved to 254 in the ‘poor’ category by 4pm, according to the Central Pollution Control Board.On Wednesday, the AQI improved further and was recorded in the ‘moderate’ category with a reading of 185.