The intense heat forced the country’s officials to issue warnings about heatstroke and water shortages in some areas.
Temperatures above 50°C were recorded in parts of northern and central India.
On Tuesday, the capital Delhi’s suburbs Mungeshpur and Narela reached a record 49.9°C temperature, higher than the previous maximum of 49.2°C recorded in 2022. Some reports suggest the capital could get even hotter on Wednesday afternoon, exceeding 50ºC.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the temperature was about 9ºC higher than expected for this time of the year.
North Indian states like Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab and Delhi are in the grip of intense heat. On Tuesday, the temperature in Churu city of Rajasthan was recorded at over 50.5ºC.
Temperatures in Haryana’s Sirsa city reached 50.3ºC, straining energy infrastructure as people tried to stay cool. Power department officials in Delhi also said power usage was rising Air Conditioning This caused energy demand to reach an all-time high.
Officials warn of heatwaves and water shortages
The IMD warned that extreme heat could have health implications, especially for children, the elderly and people with chronic diseases.
IMD warns there is a “very high chance” of people of all ages getting infected develop heatstrokeSpecial care is needed for people in vulnerable groups.
The health department in Jaipur has confirmed that four deaths have been reported so far due to heat wave.
extreme heat as well as a acute water shortagecrores of people in India lack running water. Some areas of Delhi are having difficulty accessing water, while others have no water at all, according to Atishi Marlena Singh, a senior minister in the city government.
An “intense heat wave” and a shortage of water supply in the northern state of Haryana have forced authorities to ration water, Singh said at a news conference on Wednesday.
“To solve the problem of water shortage, we have taken several measures, like reducing water supply from twice a day to once a day in many areas,” Atishi was quoted as saying by the Indian Express.
“The water thus saved will be rationed and supplied to water-scarce areas, where supply is available only for 15 to 20 minutes a day,” he said.
According to IMD, heatwave and severe heatwave conditions are likely to gradually subside from May 30.
Are heat waves getting longer and more intense in India?
The meteorological service said that although this happens often in India Summer Hot and humid from March to September, this year is likely to see longer and more intense heat.
The country has been reeling under intense heat for several weeks now. Rajasthan and Gujarat recorded temperatures between 45 and 50 degrees Celsius for nine to 12 days this month.
On investigation it was found that it was hot It has become more intense in the last decade due to climate change. that heat wave Hit Asia in April It was at least 45 times more likely to occur because of climate change, according to the academic group World Weather Attribution.
Climate experts also say that temperatures in the region are about 0.85ºC hotter on average. A 2023 study by researchers at the University of Cambridge estimates that heatwaves in India have caused 24,000 deaths since 1992. According to these researchers, parts of the country could exceed the limits of human survivability by 2050.
