New Delhi: A weather office in Delhi recorded the highest-ever temperature in the city and the country at 52.9 degrees Celsius today, prompting an investigation by the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The IMD’s Director General, M. Mohapatra, announced that the temperature sensor at the Mungeshpur automatic weather station, which reported this extreme temperature, is being checked for accuracy.
The Mungeshpur reading stands out as an anomaly among the 20 monitoring stations across Delhi, where the average temperature ranged from 45 to 50 degrees Celsius. Dr. Mohapatra highlighted that while some observatories did report higher temperatures, the Mungeshpur reading necessitates thorough verification.
IMD officials have dispatched a team of specialists to examine the sensor at Mungeshpur. Dr. Mohapatra suggested that local factors might have contributed to this unusually high reading.
“The maximum temperature across Delhi NCR varied from 45.2 to 49.1 degrees Celsius. The 52.9 degrees Celsius recorded at Mungeshpur is an outlier, potentially due to a sensor error or local conditions. We are currently examining the data and sensors,” the IMD stated.
Earth Sciences Minister Kiren Rijiju commented on the situation, saying, “It is not official yet. A temperature of 52.3 degrees Celsius in Delhi is highly unlikely. IMD senior officials have been tasked with verifying the report, and the official position will be clarified soon.”
IMD regional head Kuldeep Srivastava explained that the city’s outskirts, such as Mungeshpur, Narela, and Najafgarh, are particularly susceptible to hot winds from Rajasthan, which could explain the high temperatures recorded.
Delhi experienced its second consecutive day of record-breaking heat, with temperatures exceeding expectations by more than nine degrees. The Safdarjung observatory, Delhi’s primary weather station, recorded a maximum temperature of 46.8 degrees Celsius, the highest in 79 years.
The IMD has issued a red alert health notice for Delhi, warning the city’s 30 million residents of a “very high likelihood of developing heat illness and heat stroke” and urging “extreme care” for vulnerable populations.
India, known for its scorching summer temperatures, is experiencing more intense and frequent heatwaves due to climate change, according to years of scientific research.
Amid the heatwave, Delhi reported an all-time high power demand of 8,302 megawatts (MW) as residents turned on air-conditioning units, according to electricity department officials.
Elsewhere, temperatures soared in Rajasthan, with Phalodi recording 51 degrees Celsius and 50.8 degrees Celsius reported in another area. Sirsa in Haryana recorded a temperature of 50.3 degrees Celsius.
A decrease of up to 4 degrees Celsius was observed in southern Rajasthan districts such as Barmer, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Sirohi, and Jalore due to moist winds from the Arabian Sea, indicating the onset of heatwave reduction over northwest India.
Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) data, which use computer models to process current weather observations and forecast future conditions, suggest that this cooling trend will extend northwards, bringing gradual respite from the heatwave from May 30. Additionally, moist winds from the Bay of Bengal are expected to cause a gradual drop in maximum temperatures over Uttar Pradesh starting Thursday.
