New Delhi: It was a sultry day in the national capital yesterday with the mercury crossing the 40 degrees Celsius mark, as the summer sun blazed in a cloudless sky.

Big splash: Children splashed about in a bid to cool off in the sizzling heat at the India Gate Boat Club in New Delhi yesterday. PTI

The maximum temperature was recorded at 40.6 degrees, one notch above normal, while the minimum settled at 24.2 degrees, two notches below normal.

On Wednesday, the maximum was recorded at 38.6 degrees, and the minimum had settled at 24.8 degrees.

Humidity in the air oscillated between 22 and 64 per cent.

The weatherman has warned about a dust storm likely to hit the city, with the skies expected to become partially cloudy.

“There could be a dust storm or thunderstorm towards the evening in the city,” said a Met official.

The maximum and minimum temperatures today are likely to be 41 and 25 degrees Celsius, respectively.