Delhi on Tuesday recorded heatwave conditions with temperature touching 46.5 degree Celsius at Ridge. The India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) base observatory at Safdarjung recorded 45.1 degree Celsius, which was 4.7 degree Celsius above normal. The IMD has sounded an orange alert for the next one week.
An orange alert during a heatwave means “be prepared” for extremely high temperatures and severe heatwave conditions. It acts as the second-highest level of warning (below a red alert), signaling a high risk of heat exhaustion and heatstrokes for the general population, particularly vulnerable groups like senior citizens and children.
In the absence of western disturbance, which brings down the temperature, the Met Department has forecast that the national capital region will witness heatwave till May 25. The maximum temperature on all these days will hover between 44 degree Celsius and 45 degree Celsius. Even the temperature at nights will offer little comfort, with minimum temperature refusing to drop below 27 degree Celsius.
The IMD data of the last 15 years shows that exceeding 40 degrees Celsius in May is not surprising. Last year on May 16, Delhi recorded 42.3 degree Celsius and in 2024, which was the hottest year globally, the national capital logged 46.8 degree Celsius on May 30. The all-time record in May was 47.2 degrees Celsius in 1944.
The IMD declares a heatwave if the maximum temperature in the plains exceeds 40 degree Celsius and 30 degree Celsius for hilly regions. If the departure from normal is 4.5 degree Celsius to 6.4 degree Celsius, it also qualifies as a heatwave.
