India accounted for 98 of the world’s 100 hottest cities on Friday (May 22), pinpointing the scale of the intense heatwave currently sweeping across large parts of the country. According to data released by air quality and weather tracker AQI.in, Indian cities overwhelmingly dominated the global top-100 hottest locations list as temperatures soared across north, central and eastern India under prolonged dry and scorching weather conditions.
The rankings highlighted the extraordinary geographical spread of the ongoing heatwave, with extreme temperatures being recorded simultaneously across multiple states.
World’s 100 Hottest Cities 2026
Nagpur tops global list at 44°C
At the time of filing this article, Nagpur in Maharashtra emerged as the hottest city in the world on Friday, recording a blistering 44°C.
Raipur in Chhattisgarh also touched 44°C, while Firozabad in Uttar Pradesh recorded 43°C. Several other cities across Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar witnessed temperatures ranging between 42°C and 44°C.
More than 90 Indian cities featured in the global top-100 heat rankings were from Uttar Pradesh alone, including Prayagraj, Banda, Ayodhya, Bareilly and Jhansi.
IMD issues heatwave and severe heatwave warnings
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has already warned that heatwave to severe heatwave conditions are likely to continue across northwest and central India over the next few days. Red and orange alerts have been issued in several states as temperatures continue to remain significantly above normal.
According to meteorologists, the extreme heat conditions are being driven by persistent dry northwesterly winds, clear skies, delayed pre-monsoon activity and the formation of a vast heat dome-like system over the Indo-Gangetic plains.
Heatwave stretches across multiple states
Currently, the ongoing heatwave corridor extends from Odisha and Chhattisgarh through Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra into Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana and Delhi-NCR.
The national capital and nearby regions are also battling severe heat conditions, with temperatures expected to touch 45°C in the coming days.
Humidity levels in several affected cities remained critically low, worsening heat stress and increasing the risk of dehydration and heatstroke.
Rise in heat-related illnesses reported
Hospitals and health authorities across several states have reported an increase in cases of dehydration, heat exhaustion and suspected heatstroke, especially among outdoor workers, elderly citizens and children.
Authorities have urged people to avoid direct sunlight during peak afternoon hours, stay hydrated and minimise non-essential outdoor movement.
Meanwhile, India’s electricity demand has surged to higher levels as intense heatwaves continue to sweep across large parts of the country.
On May 21, India’s daytime peak electricity demand touched a record 270.82 gigawatts (GW), the highest ever recorded during summer months.
The Ministry of Power said power consumption has been breaking previous records continuously over the last four days as temperatures soar and dependence on cooling appliances rises sharply.