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Delhi experienced its hottest day of the year on Sunday, marking a scorching milestone with a maximum temperature of 41.1 degrees Celsius, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
This significant uptick in temperature, surpassing the seasonal average by two notches, sets a new benchmark for the national capital this summer. The previous record was set on April 27, with the mercury soaring to 40.5 degrees Celsius.
The IMD further predicted clear skies for Monday (today), with temperatures expected to settle at a high of 41 degrees Celsius and a low of 24 degrees Celsius.
While Delhi endured the brunt of the heat, several other states across India faced similar sweltering conditions. Regions including Telangana, Rayalaseema in Andhra Pradesh, Vidarbha in Maharashtra, north interior Karnataka, and northern Madhya Pradesh recorded temperatures ranging from 44 to 45 degrees Celsius.
In addition, parts of Marathwada, southeast Uttar Pradesh, northeast Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, north Odisha, Gangetic West Bengal, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu, and Coastal Andhra Pradesh experienced maximum temperatures between 42 and 44 degrees Celsius.
The IMD highlighted that these temperatures not only exceeded the norm but were notably higher. Particularly alarming were the temperatures in Gangetic West Bengal, where readings were 4-7 degrees Celsius above average, raising concerns about health and agricultural impacts.
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Across major areas of Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Telangana, Rayalaseema, and Tamil Nadu, as well as isolated pockets of Kerala, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, and Jharkhand, temperatures surpassed normal levels by 2-5 degrees Celsius.
These soaring temperatures serve as a stark reminder of the global trend towards hotter climates, underscoring the ramifications of climate change. Increased heat poses risks such as water scarcity, agricultural disruptions, and health hazards, particularly in densely populated regions.
No respite from heatwave in May
The IMD has forecasted no respite from extended heatwave spells throughout May. "The maximum temperatures over the Northwest and the North regions as well as the West coast during May are expected to be above normal," stated the IMD.
This month, hotter days are anticipated for several regions including Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab, Chandigarh, Haryana, Delhi, Eastern Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, central and eastern Maharashtra, Bihar, West Bengal, north Andhra Pradesh, and north Tamil Nadu.
Moreover, nights are also predicted to be warmer than average during May, primarily due to above-normal minimum temperatures forecasted over the Western and Eastern coasts, Gujarat, Southwest Rajasthan, Odisha, Jharkhand, Eastern Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.
Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, the director general of IMD, remarked, "Climatologically, heatwaves over the country last for one to three days during May. But this year, we expect above-normal heatwave days during May," while unveiling the temperature and rainfall forecast for the country for May.
IMD declares a heatwave when the normal maximum temperature recorded over at least two localities in plains reaches 40 degrees Celsius or is 4.5 degrees Celsius above normal. In hilly and coastal regions, a heatwave is declared when temperatures surpass 30 degrees Celsius and 37 degrees Celsius, respectively.
A severe heatwave is declared if the temperature departure is 6 degrees Celsius over normal.
Why Delhi did not experience heatwave in April
In April, Delhi surprisingly remained below 40 degrees Celsius, except for one day, despite severe heatwave conditions gripping parts of the country. The IMD noted that strong winds and cloudy skies due to five western disturbances in April have kept the temperature in check.
Meteorologists attribute the absence of extreme heatwaves in Delhi to these weather patterns, which have prevailed since the third week of April. Kuldeep Srivastava, a scientist at the Regional Weather Forecasting Centre, IMD, told the Economic Times (ET), "April this year saw five western disturbances. No significant amount of rainfall was recorded due to these western disturbances, but there was cloudiness and strong winds on many days, which prevented a rise in temperature."
In contrast, previous years have seen varying degrees of heatwave intensity in Delhi. Last year, no heat wave was recorded at Safdarjung, the city's base station, while parts of Delhi experienced heatwave conditions for three to five days.
In 2022, Delhi witnessed the longest streak of heatwaves, with nine days in April and four in May at Safdarjung. However, 2021 was an anomaly, with only one heatwave each in March and June and none in April and May, according to IMD data.
