Delhi-NCR heatwave: Delhi saw a scorching heatwave on Tuesday as parts of the national capital singed, with the maximum temperature soaring close to 50 degrees Celsius, leaving people grasping for respite.
Delhi, like several parts of central and northwest India, is in the grip of a heatwave, with the maximum temperature touching 49.9 degrees Celsius at two automatic weather stations in Mungeshpur and Narela. The manual observatories at Aya Nagar and Ridge near Delhi University also broke their previous records for highest maximum temperatures at 47.6 degrees Celsius and 47.5 degrees Celsius, respectively.
Hot winds from Rajasthan compounded the blazing sun in Delhi, leading to very high temperatures, especially in the outskirts. Heatwave conditions are expected to persist in Delhi for the next few days, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), PTI reported.
The city’s Safdarjung observatory — the official marker — also recorded its highest temperature on Tuesday, five notches above the seasonal average, at 45.8 degrees Celsius.
However, on the outskirts of the city, in Mungeshpur and Narela, 49.9 degrees Celsius was recorded, nine notches above normal on Tuesday. Najafgarh was recorded at 49.8 degrees Celsius, while Pitampura and Pusa recorded 48.5 degrees.
Explaining the reason behind the scorching heat, Mahesh Palawat, vice president of Meteorology and Climate Change at Skymet Weather, said: “In open areas with vacant land, there is increased radiation. Direct sunlight and lack of shade make these regions exceptionally hot.”
Palawat added, “When wind blows from the west, it affects these areas first. As they are on the outskirts, temperatures rise rapidly.” Kuldeep Srivastava, the regional head of IMD, said the city’s outskirts are the first areas to be hit by hot winds from Rajasthan.
“Parts of Delhi are particularly susceptible to the early arrival of these hot winds, worsening the already severe weather. Areas like Mungeshpur, Narela and Najafgarh are the first to experience the full force of these hot winds,” he said.
Delhi has witnessed a steady rise in temperatures in the final days of May.
Tuesday’s maximum temperature is slightly more than Sunday’s when the national capital recorded 45.4 degrees Celsius.
On Tuesday, the national capital’s Delhi Ridge recorded 47.5 degrees Celsius and Aya Nagar saw a high of 47.6 degrees Celsius, the IMD said, adding that this was a record high for these two stations.
The city is on a red alert for the next two days due to the prevailing heatwave conditions.
Meanwhile, Churu in Rajasthan recorded 50.5 degree Celsius on Tuesday as the city became the hottest city in India, as per the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Haryana’s Sirsa is second on the list with 50.3 degree Celsius temperature.
The threshold for a heatwave is met when the maximum temperature of a weather station reaches at least 40 degrees Celsius in the plains, 37 degrees in the coastal areas, and 30 degrees in the hilly regions, and the departure from normal is at least 4.5 notches.
A severe heatwave is declared if the departure from normal exceeds 6.4 notches.
Water woes in Delhi
In the first clear indication of a serious water crisis in Delhi, which is largely dependent on neighbours Haryana and Uttar Pradesh to meet its soaring water demands, AAP leader Atishi appealed to the people to not waste water.
Accusing the Haryana government of not releasing Delhi’s assigned share of water since May 1, she said, “The Yamuna water level at Wazirabad was 674.5 feet on May 1 and it has reduced to 669.8 feet today… The average water level should be maintained… Last year in April, May and June, the minimum level was maintained at 674.6 feet. But when Haryana does not release enough water to Delhi, the raw water amount reduces and the water treatment plants in different areas also slow down.”
While 64 per cent of Delhi’s water needs are met through Haryana, 26.5 per cent are met through Uttar Pradesh, according to the latest economic survey.
The city’s water requirement is 1,290 million gallons daily (MGD), according to the survey for 2022-23.
On May 24, the Delhi Jal Board said in a press release that water production had been ramped up to “close to 1,000 MGD” against an installed capacity of 956 MGD (through more extraction from tubewells and ranney wells). The water utility’s summer reports, however, show that since May 11, it has been averaging around 980 MGD.
