On Wednesday, Delhi recorded the highest temperature ever recorded at 52.3°C. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the automatic weather station at Mungeshpur recorded this temperature at around 2.30 pm. This sweltering temperature was reached just a day after Mungeshpur and Narela in north Delhi hit 49.9°C, closely followed by Najafgarh in southwest Delhi at 49.8°C.
Other regions with extreme temperatures include Phalodi in Rajasthan, which reached 51°C, and another area in Rajasthan recorded 50.8°C. Sirsa in Haryana also reported a sweltering 50.3°C.
Delhi was recently hit by an unprecedented heatwave. Temperatures rose to a sweltering 49.9°C, breaking previous records, as relentless westerly winds blew from Rajasthan. The city is currently under red alert, with no significant relief expected in the next two days.
On Tuesday, cloudless skies and scorching winds pushed temperatures to new extremes. Mungeshpur and Narela reached a sweltering 49.9°C, while Najafgarh recorded 49.8°C. At Safdarjung, Delhi's main weather station, the mercury rose to 45.8°C, which is the highest temperature of the year and five degrees above the seasonal average. The last time Safdarjung recorded a higher maximum was in 2020, with a peak of 46°C.
“Heatwave to severe heatwave conditions prevailed in most parts of Rajasthan; in many parts of Punjab, Haryana-Chandigarh-Delhi, in some parts of Madhya Pradesh; in isolated areas of Uttar Pradesh. Heatwave conditions prevailed in isolated areas of Jammu-Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat and Vidarbha. Heatwave conditions have been prevailing in Gujarat since 15th; in Haryana, Chandigarh & Delhi, Rajasthan since 17th and in western Madhya Pradesh and western Uttar Pradesh since 18th May 2024,” IMD said.
On Tuesday, temperatures in central Delhi tantalisingly approached the 50-degree mark, marking the highest ever recorded by automatic weather stations in these areas since data collection began in 2022.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for intense heatwave conditions for Wednesday, followed by an orange alert for Thursday, indicating a slight dip in temperature. Some relief is possible on Friday and Saturday, when light rain is forecast.
Elsewhere, Churu in Rajasthan was declared the hottest place in India on Tuesday, reaching a sweltering 50.5°C, close to the previous record of 50.8°C. The highest temperature ever recorded in the country remains 51°C, recorded in Phalodi, Rajasthan in 2016.
