The Met office says that the hottest day the Capital has ever witnessed in May was 47.2 degrees Celsius recorded on May 29, 1944. The second highest temperature recorded previously was 46.1 degrees, on May 24, 1943. In recent times, the maximum May temperature was 46 degrees Celsius on May 31, 1994.The hot weather over the past few days is due to the dry winds blowing in from the West. ``There are no western disturbances which can have a cooling effect on the weather at this time of the year,'' said a Met Department official.

``Western disturbances are usually a winter phenomenon, but their effect is sometimes felt into the summer and this produces the cooling effect.

Unfortunately, this summer there has been no western disturbance so we are feeling the full blast of the summer heat.'' According to the official, this hot weather is likely to continue for at least the next few days.

While in 1997 and 1996, the temperatures in May did not go beyond 44 degrees Celsius, in 1995 it touched 45 degrees on May 17 and May 31. In 1994 it was 46 degrees on May 31 and 45 degrees on May 30.

The longest spell of extreme weather in May was in 1988 when there were six days on which the temperature was over 45 degrees. This year there have been five days already with temperatures exceeding 45 degrees.

The average temperature for the month of May so far is hovering around 40 degrees. The highest average temperature for the month of May was recorded in 1978 at 42.3 degrees Celsius. In 1984, the average for May was 42.1 and in 1988, it was 42 degrees. In the recent past, May 1995 saw an average temperature at 41.3 degrees. However, 1996 and 1997 saw averages falling to 39.4 and 37.8 degrees respectively.

According to the Met office no respite is likely in the month of June. ``The first fifteen days of June are many a times even hotter than the days in May.'' The highest ever temperature recorded in June was 47.8 degrees well over a hundred years ago on June 2, 1889.