Amid the scorching heat, a brutal heat wave swept across swathes of northwest India on Friday. Southwest Delhi’s Najafgarh registered a scorching maximum temperature of 47.4 degrees Celsius, the highest recorded in the country so far this season. The mercury soared above 45 degrees Celsius at 19 places in Rajasthan, 18 in Haryana, eight in Delhi, and two in Punjab. The relentless heat is expected to intensify further, with severe heat waves forecast to persist over the northwest Indian plains for the next five days. A US-based group of climate scientists at Climate Central warns that approximately 54.3 crore individuals in India will endure at least one day of extreme heat during this period. ‘Human-caused climate change has greatly increased the likelihood of this intense heat. The high overnight temperatures make this event particularly concerning,’ said Andrew Pershing, vice president for science at Climate Central, to PTI. Najafgarh and Sirsa in Haryana recorded the highest temperatures on Friday, reaching 47.4 and 47.1 degrees Celsius, respectively. According to India Meteorological Data (IMD), Najafgarh remained the hottest location in the country until 7.30 pm. Earlier, on April 30, Kalaikunda in the Gangetic West Bengal region had registered a high of 47.2 degrees Celsius. The IMD reported that Delhi’s Mungeshpur recorded a temperature of 46.5 degrees Celsius, while Aya Nagar, Pusa, and Jafarpur experienced 46.2 degrees Celsius. Pitampura and Palam recorded temperatures of 45.8 and 45.1 degrees Celsius, respectively. The IMD has issued a warning that similar heatwave conditions are likely in parts of Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, and Delhi from May 18 to 21. A fresh heatwave spell is anticipated to emerge over east and central India on Saturday. The IMD has issued a red alert for west Rajasthan and an orange alert for Haryana, Punjab, east Rajasthan, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Gujarat. The department has emphasized the need for ‘extreme care for vulnerable people,’ including infants, the elderly, and those with chronic conditions. The Met Office had previously predicted an above-average number of heatwave days in the northern plains and central India during May.
India Sizzles Under Brutal Heat Wave, Maximum Temperature Hits 47.4 Degrees Celsius
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