Delhi records highest temperature of season; IMD warns of heatwave across north and central India

Delhi recorded its highest temperature of the season on Monday, with the mercury touching 40.2 degrees Celsius at Safdarjung — 5.1 degrees above normal. A heatwave alert was earlier issued for the capital and other parts of north and central India.

According to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), the temperature in Palam reached 39.5 degrees Celsius, which is four degrees above the seasonal average. A yellow alert is in place for Delhi on Monday and Tuesday, with maximum temperatures forecast to remain between 40 and 42 degrees Celsius through Wednesday.

“The Met Department has forecast heatwave conditions in parts of the capital from Monday to Wednesday,” the IMD said in its latest bulletin.

Safdarjung, Delhi’s primary weather station, had recorded a maximum of 38.2 degrees on Sunday — three degrees above normal — and 35.7 degrees on Saturday. The previous highest this season at Safdarjung was 39 degrees Celsius, recorded on April 3.

Beyond Delhi, heatwave conditions are expected to affect several states in northern and central India. Isolated pockets of Himachal Pradesh may be impacted on April 7, while Haryana, Chandigarh and Punjab are likely to face similar conditions from April 7 to 10. Western Uttar Pradesh is expected to experience a heatwave from April 7 to 9, and Madhya Pradesh from April 8 to 10.

The IMD has also flagged that around 21 cities across Rajasthan, Gujarat, Odisha, and Maharashtra are likely to record high temperatures in the coming days, signalling an early onset of intense summer conditions across large parts of the country.

On Sunday, the weather department predicted prolonged periods of above normal temperature and intense heat waves in Uttar Pradesh from April to June this year. The state's Bundelkhand region, which covers seven districts of Jhansi and Chitrakootdham division, will bear the brunt of the heatwaves, posing significant risks to both human and animal health, weather officials said. 

"During these months, above-normal maximum temperatures are expected across Uttar Pradesh. The forecast indicates that daytime temperatures will consistently exceed the 40-degree Celsius mark," Atul Kumar Singh, a MeT official here, said. Adding to the concern, night time temperatures are also projected to remain unusually high. The Bundelkhand region is anticipated to be the epicentre of this extreme heat. 

The first week of April has already provided a stark preview of the impending heat, with daytime temperatures surging. "As per the MeT Department, the day temperature in Kanpur, Varanasi, Prayagraj, Fatehpur, Amethi, Ghazipur, Sultanpur, and Hamirpur have been crossing the 40-degree mark since last week. On Saturday, Prayagraj recorded a maximum temperature of 41.6 degrees Celsius, 4.2 degrees above the seasonal average," MeT officials said.