Weather Update: Red Alert In Delhi As Temperatures Soar To 47°C, Power Demand Peaks, Schools Close Early

Delhi faces a severe heatwave with record temperatures of 47 degrees Celsius in parts of the city. IMD warns of more to come for the next five days.

The mercury once again touched 47 degrees Celsius in parts of Delhi, prompting a 'red alert’ from the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) for the next five days. The rampant heatwave condition has steered the national capital’s power demand to its highest in the month of May, and the government has directed the schools in the region to reschedule the summer vacations to an earlier date with immediate effect. 

The IMD Forecast For Delhi: 

- Mainly clear skies 

- Heatwave conditions in many parts of Delhi 

- Severe heatwave conditions in other areas 

- Strong surface winds at speeds of 25–35 kmph on Tuesday 

Severe Heatwave ‘Red Alert’ in Delhi 

Delhi has been getting hotter over the past few days, hitting its highest temperature this summer on Sunday at 44.4 degrees Celsius. On Saturday, it was 43.6 degrees Celsius, which had risen from 42.5 degrees Celsius on Friday. 

On Monday, Delhi had its second-highest temperature, which was 3.7 degrees above the average. Najafgarh, in southwest Delhi, saw a temperature of 47.4 degrees Celsius on Monday, just slightly lower than the 47.8 degrees Celsius recorded there on Sunday, which is the highest in the country so far this season. 

Meanwhile, Mungeshpur recorded 47.1 degrees, Aya Nagar touched 45.7 degrees, mercury in Pusa showed 46.1 degrees, Pitampura recorded 46.6 degrees, and Palam soared to 45.2 degrees. 

Schools To Remain Closed 

In a circular, the Directorate of Education in Delhi directed that all schools be instructed to observe summer vacation from May 11 to June 30 for the current academic year. It was noted that although all government schools were closed as of May 11, 2024, some government-aided and unaided recognised private schools remained open during the severe heat waves.

Based on inputs from PTI.