This Monday, May 27, India and Pakistan were hit by temperatures that sometimes reached 50°C or even 52°C. Extreme heat, almost approaching the record for the highest heat in the region.

A severe heat wave hit northern India on Monday, May 27, with temperatures soaring to 50°C in Phalodi, in the state of Rajasthan, the highest recorded temperature since June 2019, reports the Indian daily India Time.

The scorching episode follows a heatwave that has gripped the country for weeks. On May 21, authorities in New Delhi ordered the early closure of schools in the Indian capital for the summer holidays, with “immediate effect,” according to local press., due to extreme temperatures.

Between 48°C and 52°C

In northwest India, the city of Kota, also in the state of Rajasthan, experienced a very hot day on Monday with a maximum temperature of 48.2°C, said Keraunos, the French Tornado Observatory, and severe thunderstorms. During the day, the Indian city recorded a record minimum temperature of 36°C. The average temperature for the day rose to 42.1°C.

On the border with India, in the southern province of Sindh, southern Pakistan, temperatures exceeded 50°C, details from the British press agency Reuters.

In the city of Mohenjo Daro, known for its archaeological sites dating back to the Indus Valley civilisation built in 2,500 BC, temperatures reached 52.2C in the past 24 hours, a senior official from the Pakistan Meteorological Department told Reuters.

It was the highest temperature of the summer so far, nearing the city's record of 53.5°C and the wider India record of 54°C. While the heat wave is expected to ease in the coming days in Mohenjo Daro and its surrounding areas, another heat wave is expected to affect other parts of Sindh, including the capital, Karachi, Pakistan's largest city.

Widening heat wave

However, according to the Times of India, the heat wave is not limited to northwest India or southern Pakistan. Colder states such as Himachal Pradesh in the Himalayas or Assam in northeast India are also experiencing extreme heat. The cities of Silchar and Lumding, for example, recorded temperatures of 40°C and 43°C respectively on Monday.

Facing this heat wave, several areas are facing water and electricity shortages due to high energy consumption. According to the Indian Meteorological Department, quoted by BBCThe heatwave is expected to continue until Wednesday 29 May.