Delhi remained in the grip of an intense heatwave on Wednesday with the city recording a maximum temperature of 44.5 degrees Celsius at Safdarjung, while several areas crossed the 45-degree mark, prompting the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to issue an orange alert for the next seven days.
According to the IMD, Ridge recorded the highest temperature in the city at 45.8°C, followed by Ayanagar at 45.0°C, Palam at 44.9°C and Lodhi Road at 44.6°C. The minimum temperature settled at 28.3°C.
While temperature was marginally lower than Tuesday, when Ridge had touched 46.5°C, weather officials warned that heatwave to severe heatwave conditions were likely to persist over the next two days, with heatwave conditions expected to continue thereafter.
The IMD said there was unlikely to be any major change in maximum or minimum temperatures over the coming week, with daytime temperature expected to hover between 43°C and 47°C across the Capital.
Issuing a public advisory, the Weather Department urged residents to stay hydrated, avoid direct exposure to sunlight and take precautions against heat-related illnesses.
The prolonged heat also pushed Delhi’s electricity demand to its highest level so far this year. According to State Load Dispatch Centre (SLDC) data, peak power demand touched 8,039 MW at 3:35 pm on Wednesday amid rising use of air-conditioners and cooling appliances across the city.
The demand surge came a day after Delhi recorded a peak load of 7,776 MW during the afternoon and 7,841 MW at night, indicating a sharp rise in electricity consumption due to the early onset of extreme summer conditions.
Official data showed Delhi’s peak power demand till May 20 this year was significantly higher than previous years, compared to 7,533 MW during the same period in 2025 and 7,591 MW in 2024.
The rising demand also triggered a political confrontation between the AAP and the BJP.
In a post on X, AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal said widespread power cuts were troubling residents during the severe heatwave. He claimed Delhiites had “forgotten power cuts” during the AAP government’s tenure and accused the BJP government of pushing the city “15 years backwards”.
Responding to the allegations, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva termed Kejriwal’s claims “100 per cent false” and accused him of attempting to mislead people through social media posts.
Sachdeva said Delhi’s power discoms had successfully met the record demand of around 8,039 MW and claimed no scheduled power cuts had been imposed anywhere in the city over the last two days. He said minor faults, wherever reported, were resolved quickly.
Meanwhile, Delhi’s air quality remained in the “moderate” category, with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) recording an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 168 at 4 pm.
