India, May 15 -- Mercury crossed the 40-degree mark on Thursday, reaching 40.6degC for the first time this May, as sticky heat persisted with bright sunshine during the day.

However, rain eluded the Capital till the time of going to press, despite a "yellow" alert of light showers.

Humidity levels remained high, giving Delhi a "feels like" or "heat index" of 42.9degC at 5:30 pm, according to India Meteorological Department (IMD) data. The minimum stood at 23.4degC, which was 2 degC below normal, and is expected to reach 26degC by Sunday.

Though a feeble western disturbance is expected to influence northwest India from Friday onwards, its impact over Delhi-NCR is expected to be negligible, with the maximum set to rise rapidly, inching c...