Delhi recorded its hottest May day since 2024 with temperatures soaring past 45 degrees Celsius, marking the fourth heatwave day of the year according to IMD officials. The city's Ridge station recorded the highest temperature at 46.5 degrees Celsius, while Safdarjung recorded 45.1 degrees Celsius - both significantly above normal levels. The IMD has issued an orange alert for heatwave to severe heatwave conditions over the next seven days, with temperatures expected to remain in the 44-46 degrees Celsius range until May 22. Heatwave conditions are expected to continue for the next one week as northwesterly winds from Rajasthan's Thar Desert region and central Pakistan intensify the searing conditions across Delhi-NCR.
According to IMD data, Safdarjung recorded a maximum temperature of 45.1 degrees Celsius, which was 4.7 degrees above normal and 1.7 degrees higher than the previous day. The Palam station also logged 45.1 degrees Celsius, 3.8 degrees above normal with a 24-hour rise of 1.6 degrees. The Lodhi Road station recorded 45.2 degrees Celsius, 6.2 degrees above normal and 1.4 degrees higher than the previous day, officially recording heatwave conditions. The Ridge station recorded the hottest temperature at 46.5 degrees Celsius, five degrees above normal with a 24-hour rise of 1.9 degrees. Ayanagar station recorded 45.5 degrees Celsius, 3.4 degrees above normal and 1.1 degrees higher than the previous day. Heatwave conditions are observed when maximum temperature crosses 40 degrees Celsius and remains 4.5 to 6.4 degrees above normal.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast heatwave to severe heatwave conditions over large parts of northwest and central India through May 25. According to IMD reports, maximum temperatures remained markedly above normal at several places, including parts of Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Delhi and Himachal Pradesh. Temperatures were also appreciably above normal across parts of Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. The weather office has warned of heatwave to severe heatwave conditions over West Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh through May 25, with East Uttar Pradesh and Vidarbha expected to remain under severe heatwave conditions until May 21. Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh are also likely to see persistent heatwave conditions during the week, with orange alerts remaining in place across several states including Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh.
Delhi's air quality has deteriorated further and entered the 'poor' category with an Air Quality Index (AQI) reading of 208, prompting the Commission for Air Quality Management to enforce Stage 1 of the Graded Response Action Plan. According to the Central Pollution Control Board, an AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 to 100 'satisfactory', 101 to 200 'moderate', 201 to 300 'poor', 301 to 400 'very poor', and 401 to 500 'severe'. The deterioration is attributed to dust-laden northwesterly winds and extremely dry conditions, leading to higher pollution levels, particularly PM10 concentrations. Residents need to remain cautious as the prolonged dry spell and soaring temperatures can significantly increase the risk of heat-related illnesses and sunstroke, with no forecast of thunderstorms or pre-monsoon rainfall activity over the next 10 days.
The IMD said conditions are favourable for the further advancement of the southwest monsoon into parts of the southeast Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, Comorin area and the remaining parts of the Andaman Sea during the next three to four days. The weather office has forecast that the southwest monsoon is likely to set in over Kerala on May 26, with a model error margin of plus or minus four days. Meanwhile, several parts of northeast, east and south India are expected to witness rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds. Heavy to very heavy rainfall is forecast over Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura between May 21 and May 25, with isolated very heavy rainfall likely over Arunachal Pradesh and the Assam-Meghalaya region later in the week.
