Delhi has not recorded even one heatwave between March 1 and June 3, which scientists from the India Meteorological Department say is rare, the Hindustan Times reported on Thursday.

The city may not record a day of extreme heat this summer altogether as it is likely to receive rainfall at the end of the week.

According to the weather department, heatwave in plains occurs when the maximum temperature goes up to 40 degrees Celsius or more and is least at 4.5 degrees above normal.

Kuldeep Srivastava, the head of IMD regional weather forecasting centre, told the newspaper that temperature in Delhi in May was lower this year due to record rainfall under the impact of Cyclone Taukta.

“Even after the cyclone’s impact, we got a consistent series of fresh western disturbances that passed over Delhi, which led to smaller spells of rainfall over the region,” Srivastava added. “This helped keep mercury levels from rising.”

Delhi’s mean maximum temperature in May was 37.5 degrees Celsius, which was the lowest for that month in 13 years, the India Meteorological Department had said on Monday, PTI reported.

It was also the first time since 2014 that the Capital’s official marker, the Safdarjung Observatory, did not record a heatwave in the pre-monsoon period, the weather office added.

IMD Senior Scientist RK Jenamani told the Hindustan Times: “We have not seen such conditions ever. This time of year is known for its scorching heat and high temperature. There have been years when the maximum temperature in May has even touched 48 degrees Celsius.”

However, Jenamani said that the weather department will have to wait till the end of June to declare if this was Delhi’s coolest summer.