New Delhi breaks record for high temperatures due to heat wave in India: it exceeded 52ºC

New Delhi recorded a national temperature record last Wednesday, May 29, 2024, with 52.3ºC, according to figures from the government meteorological office, but authorities later indicated that the mark was being analyzed because it could have been the result of a failure in the measuring equipment.

The Indian Meteorological Department (DMI) reported on “severe heat conditions”, The temperature was recorded in the afternoon, at an automatic station in the suburb of Mungeshpur.

However Soma Sen Roy, DMI meteorologist, He later indicated that he was checking whether the station registered it correctly.

“The Mungeshpur weather station reported 52.9 degrees Celsius, which is different from other stations,” the DMI said. The gap “It could be due to a sensor error or a local factor. The DMI is examining the data and sensors”he added.

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This agency manages five weather monitoring sites and 15 automatic weather stations, including Mungeshpur, and records temperatures and precipitation throughout the capital, which has more than 30 million inhabitants.

Unlike Mungeshpur, the other sites on Wednesday recorded a maximum temperature in New Delhi that “varied between 45.2°C and 49.1°C”, noted the Meteorological Department.

On Tuesday, two stations in the city, those in Mungeshpur and Narela recorded a temperature of 49.9 degrees Celsius. It is unknown whether that figure will also have to be revised.

In 2022, temperature in new delhi reached a peak of 49.2°C.

In 2016, The thermometer recorded 51°C in Phalodi, on the edge of the Thar Desert in Rajasthan, the highest confirmed temperature on record in India.

“Temperature in urban areas varies from place to place,” the DMI said Wednesday. He added that such variations could be due to factors such as proximity to lagoons, parks or high housing density.

Heatwave temperatures are common in India in the summer, but, according to researchers, Climate change is causing longer, more frequent and more intense heat waves.

This record temperature exceeded by more than one degree the previous national maximum of 51ºC, recorded in the Rajasthan desert in 2016. And it would also be the first time that the 50ºC barrier would be exceeded in the capital.

In addition, the DMI issued a red health alert that warned about the “high probability of suffering from heat illness and heat stroke at all ages.”

“Everyone wants to stay home,” said Roop Ram, a 57-year-old snack vendor, saying he is having difficulty selling his fried foods.

As people sought relief from the high temperatures, The electricity grid recorded a record demand of 8,302 MW, compared to the 7,695 MW recorded in 2022, according to official data.

Authorities in New Delhi warned of the risk of water shortages due to the heat, and reduced supplies in some areas. The Minister of Water, Atishi Marlena, indicated that the Water supplies were halved in many areas to boost flow to “water-scarce areas.”

The flow of the Yamuna River, a tributary of the Ganges that runs through New Delhi, decreases noticeably during the hottest months, making the capital almost entirely dependent on the neighboring agricultural states of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, which have significant water needs.

Pakistan recorded a peak temperature of 53º on Sunday in Sind, a province bordering India.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department expects the mercury to drop from Wednesday, but warned of more heat waves in June.

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Meanwhile, the states of West Bengal and Mizoram, in northeastern India, were hit by strong winds and rain due to the passage of Cyclone Remal, that hit Bangladesh and India over the weekend and left at least 65 dead.

The Bangladesh Meteorological Department stated that the cyclone was one of the longest experienced in the country and He blamed climate change for this exceptional duration.