 "Delhi nears 50 degrees Celsius: What's causing extreme heat in capital?")
Delhi on Tuesday nearly reached 50 degrees Celsius at three of its weather stations, highlighting the extreme heat wave conditions affecting northern India. The city’s official weather station at Safdarjung recorded a temperature of 45.8 degrees Celsius. However, the outskirts of Mungeshpur, Narela, and Najafgarh reported temperatures above 49 degrees Celsius.
In Mungeshpur and Narela, 49.9 degrees Celsius was recorded. This is nine notches above the normal temperature for this time of the year. Najafgarh was recorded at 49.8 degrees Celsius, while Pitampura and Pusa recorded 48.5 degrees.
The extreme heat in Delhi has prompted the authorities to make the necessary arrangements to mitigate health risks like heatstroke and dehydration, heart strain among others.
Why is the temperature soaring in Delhi?
Experts have attributed headwaves from Rajasthan as a key contributing factor for the extreme heat in Delhi. Mahesh Palawat, vice-president of Meteorology and Climate Change at Skymet Weather said, “In open areas with vacant land, there is increased radiation. Direct sunlight and lack of shade make these regions exceptionally hot.”
“Parts of Delhi are particularly susceptible to the early arrival of these hot winds, worsening the already severe weather. Areas like Mungeshpur, Narela and Najafgarh are the first to experience the full force of these hot winds,” Kuldeep Srivastava, the regional head of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.
How is heatwave measured?
A heatwave is declared over a region “when actual maximum temperature remains 45 degrees Celsius or more irrespective of normal maximum temperature,” the Centre says.
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According to the IMD, a heatwave is declared “if the maximum temperature of a station reaches at least 40 degrees Celsius or more for plains, 37 degrees Celsius or more for coastal stations and at least 30 degrees Celsius or more for Hilly region” for two or more days.
IMD weather forecast for May 29
Other than Delhi, many places in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh also reported their highest maximum temperature for this season on Tuesday. In view of the conditions, the weather body has declared a red alert in the national capital, Haryana-Chandigarh, parts of Rajasthan, Punjab, UP and other north Indian cities till May 29.
Heat wave to severe heat wave conditions are likely to gradually reduce over central and northwest India from May 30, the weather body predicted, adding that warm night conditions will continue to prevail in Delhi and adjoining regions till June 2.