Large parts of north India, including Delhi, are reeling under severe heatwave conditions, with temperatures soaring to 47.4 degrees Celsius in Najafgarh, Delhi – the highest in the country on Monday (May 20). Temperatures exceeded 45 degrees Celsius across many regions in Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi, Chandigarh, and Uttar Pradesh.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported a heatwave to severe heatwave conditions in many areas of Haryana and Delhi, with some pockets of Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh.
IMD issues red alert for Delhi as temperatures soar beyond 47°C
In Delhi, temperatures again breached 47 degrees Celsius in several areas, prompting the weather office to issue a red alert for the next few days, till May 24, due to the ongoing heatwave. Over the next seven days, the maximum temperature is predicted to range from 44 to 48 degrees Celsius in the national capital, according to the IMD weekly weather forecast.
Historical temperature data highlights the severity of the current heatwave: Ayanagar in Delhi recorded a maximum of 45.7 degrees Celsius, while the Palam station recorded a maximum of 48.4 degrees Celsius in 1998.
In Delhi, the intense heat pushed the city’s peak power demand to a record high for May, reaching 7,572 MW at 3:33 pm, surpassing the previous May peak of 7,438 MW recorded last August.
Rajasthan, Haryana, MP also face extreme temperatures
Rajasthan saw 46.3 degrees Celsius in Ganganagar and 45.8 degrees in Kota. In Madhya Pradesh, Ratlam and Nowgong recorded 45.5 degrees Celsius. Haryana’s Sirsa hit 47.2 degrees Celsius, with other areas like Nuh and Faridabad exceeding 46 degrees. Chandigarh recorded a high of 43.2 degrees Celsius, while Punjab’s Amritsar reached 44.5 degrees. Himachal Pradesh’s Una recorded a high of 43 degrees Celsius on Monday. Several states including Delhi-NCR, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir have also changed their schools timings or declared summer vacations for students in view of the soaring temperatures.
Humid conditions to prevail in Mumbai
Mumbai woke up to partially cloudy skies with mild breezes today morning. IMD has predicted clear skies by the afternoon or evening across the city and its suburbs. Today’s temperatures are expected to range from a minimum of 28 degrees Celsius to a maximum of 35 degrees Celsius. The average temperature for the day is predicted to stabilise around 31 degrees Celsius. Winds are forecasted to blow at a speed of 9.3 km/h, mainly from the southwesterly direction.
Heavy rainfall in southern states
Despite the heatwave in the north, southern states like Kerala and Tamil Nadu experienced rainfall, indicating the imminent onset of the southwest monsoon. IMD continued to place Kerala’s Pathanamthitta, Kottayam and Idukki districts on “red alert”, forecasting extremely heavy rainfall on Monday and Tuesday.
Over the next seven days, Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Yanam, Telangana, and Rayalaseema are expected to experience isolated to scattered light to moderate rainfall. Additionally, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karaikal are very likely to see isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall (115.5-204.5 mm) on Tuesday, prompting the weather agency to issue an “orange alert.”