India’s capital, Delhi, reached an unprecedented maximum temperature of 49.9 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, marking an all-time high for the city. Several areas, including Mungeshpur, Najafgarh, and Narela, recorded severe heatwave conditions with temperatures of 49.9 degrees Celsius, 49.8 degrees Celsius, and 49.9 degrees Celsius, respectively.
Other parts of the city also faced extreme heat: Pitampura and Pusa reported maximum temperatures of 48.5 degrees Celsius, while Jafarpur recorded 48.6 degrees Celsius. Additionally, Safdarjung, Palam, CHO, Ridge, and Ayanagar saw temperatures ranging between 45 and 48 degrees Celsius.
The previous highest temperature in Delhi was 49.2 degrees Celsius, recorded on May 15–16, 2022.
This record-breaking temperature comes amid a ‘red’ alert warning issued for several regions, including Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, western Uttar Pradesh, and Gujarat. The alert indicates a high likelihood of heat illness and heat stroke across all age groups due to the extreme heat wave.
The severe heatwave has also affected northwest and central India. Rajasthan’s Phalodi recorded the highest temperature in the country since June 1, 2019, reaching 50 degrees Celsius on Saturday.
The heatwave has broken temperature records nationwide, impacting even hilly regions such as Assam, Himachal Pradesh, and Arunachal Pradesh, which have recorded their highest-ever temperatures.
The intense heat is placing immense strain on India’s power grid, pushing the country’s power demand to 239.96 gigawatts, the highest of the season. As households and businesses increase the use of air conditioners and coolers, the power demand may rise further, potentially surpassing the all-time high of 243.27 GW set in September 2023.
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