Temperatures in Delhi are expected to touch 44 degrees Celsius on Friday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD)'s latest forecast said. For May 22, the weather office put the city under an orange alert, and the minimum temperature is set to stand at 32 degrees Celsius.
An IMD official told news agency PTI that heatwave conditions are expected to continue for the next one week. The IMD said heatwave conditions are likely to continue over Delhi during the next seven days due to the prevalence of lower tropospheric dry northwesterly and westerly winds and the absence of any western disturbance affecting the plains of northwest India, reports PTI.
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No relief for Delhi anytime soon
"Heatwave conditions are expected to continue for the next week. The northwesterly winds are sweeping into the national capital from the Thar Desert region of Rajasthan and parts of central Pakistan for the past few days. Travelling across vast arid stretches, these winds turn intensely dry by the time they reach Delhi, trapping heat close to the surface and sharply intensifying the searing conditions across the city,” Mahesh Palawat of Skymet Weather told news agency PTI.
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"The ground does not get sufficient time to release the accumulated heat, leading to persistently warm nights. There is no forecast of thunderstorms or pre-monsoon rainfall activity over the next 10 days, which is further worsening the situation. These dry northwesterly winds are also preventing any significant cooling and are trapping large amounts of heat," he said.
Palawat added that the prevailing conditions are likely to persist over the coming days, pushing several parts of Delhi-NCR into heatwave conditions.
Noida, Ghaziabad weather
Gautam Budh Nagar and Ghaziabad continued to reel under intense heat on Thursday as temperatures remained above 40°C in both districts. As per the forecast issued till May 27, temperatures in Ghaziabad are expected to remain between 43°C and 44°C. The IMD has issued an orange alert for heatwave conditions on May 22 and 23, followed by a yellow alert for the subsequent days.
In Gautam Budh Nagar as well, temperatures are likely to hover between 43°C and 44°C. The district remains under an orange alert for May 22 and 23, while a yellow alert has been issued for May 24, 25, and 26.
Delhi records its warmest May night in 14 years
Delhi reeled under another day of heat on Thursday, recording its warmest May night in nearly 14 years. The heatwave conditions persisted for the fourth consecutive day in parts of the city.
The last time Delhi recorded a higher minimum temperature in May was on May 26, 2012, when the mercury settled at 32.5 degrees Celsius, according to IMD data.
Safdarjung, the city’s base weather station, recorded a minimum temperature of 31.9 degrees Celsius, 5.2 notches above normal and 3.6 degrees higher than the previous day. However, the temperatures continued to hover above the 45-degree Celsius mark in parts of the city.
Residents are advised to remain cautious as the prolonged dry spell and soaring temperatures can significantly increase the risk of heat-related illnesses and sunstroke.
UP's Banda sizzles at 48 degrees
Banda in Uttar Pradesh remained the hottest place in the country for the third straight day, with temperatures soaring to 48.2 degrees Celsius. Residents blamed rampant deforestation and illegal mining activities for the worsening heat conditions.
Local resident Puneet Saxena described the extreme weather as an “Agni Pariksha” for the people of Banda. “I believe the rising temperatures are linked to large-scale tree cutting and illegal mining,” he told ANI.
Another resident, Syed Imran Ali, pointed to unchecked tree felling for road construction as a major reason behind the intense heat. “The old, large trees that once provided shade and cooling no longer exist here,” he said.
Doctors in Banda have also reported a surge in heat-related illnesses, with hospitals witnessing an increase in cases of fever, dizziness, dehydration, and vomiting.
(With agency inputs)
