Searing heatwave bakes Delhi, temperature soars close to 49°C

Delhi remains in the clutches of a severe heatwave as maximum temperatures in parts of the city surpassed 48 degrees Celsius on Monday, with no relief in sight for the coming days.

The Safdarjung observatory, the city’s official weather marker, recorded its second-highest maximum temperature of the season at 45.1 degrees Celsius, 4.7 degrees above normal, with a minimum of 29.2 degrees Celsius.

At the Palam observatory, the high reached 46 degrees Celsius, five degrees above normal.

On Sunday, Delhi experienced its highest maximum temperature of the year, with the mercury hitting 45.4 degrees Celsius, marking the first heatwave day in the city.

Monday saw Najafgarh in southwest Delhi recording a blistering 48.6 degrees Celsius, eight degrees above normal, while the minimum was 31.4 degrees Celsius, five degrees above average.

The Mungeshpur weather station reported a high of 48.8 degrees Celsius, eight degrees above normal, and a minimum of 27.6 degrees Celsius, slightly above the seasonal average.

Kuldeep Srivastava, head of the regional IMD, explained that Najafgarh and Mungeshpur recorded such extreme temperatures because they are on the city’s outskirts. “Wind direction also plays a role. When winds blow from the west, they affect these areas first, causing temperatures to rise rapidly,” he said.

Srivastava warned that the heatwave would persist for the next few days.

The weather department predicts that maximum temperatures in Delhi this week will range between 44 and 48 degrees Celsius. The city was on red alert on Monday and will remain so for the next three days.

In 2023, Delhi did not experience a single heatwave day in May, whereas in 2022, there were four.

The IMD has urged people, especially infants, the elderly, and those with chronic illnesses, to exercise extreme caution, highlighting a high risk of heat-related illnesses and heat stroke. “Avoid heat exposure, stay cool, and prevent dehydration,” it advised.

A heatwave is defined when the maximum temperature at a weather station reaches at least 40 degrees Celsius, with a deviation of 4.5 degrees or more from normal. A severe heatwave is declared when the maximum temperature is 6.4 degrees or more above normal.

(With PTI inputs)