Large parts of north India, including Haryana and Delhi, experienced severe heatwave conditions on Monday, with temperatures reaching a scorching 47.4 degrees Celcius in Najafgarh, Delhi—the highest in the country that day. The weather office has issued a red alert for the next five days due to expected heatwave conditions.
Temperatures exceeded 45 degrees Celcius in many regions across Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi, Chandigarh, and Uttar Pradesh. This intense heat impacted daily activities, causing many to stay indoors during the afternoon.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported, "Today (Monday), heatwave to severe heatwave conditions were observed in many places over Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh Delhi, and Haryana."
No Relief From Scorching Heat To Delhiites
In Delhi, the heatwave also pushed the city's peak power demand to a new high for May. Data from the State Load Dispatch Centre showed the peak power demand at 7,572 MW at 3:33 PM, surpassing last year's peak of 7,438 MW recorded in August.
Several weather stations in Delhi recorded exceptionally high temperatures: Ayanagar reported 45.7 degrees Celcius, Najafgarh hit 47.4 degrees, and Palam station near the international airport registered 48.4 degrees.
The weather office has issued a red alert for the next five days due to expected heatwave conditions.
Severe Heatwave Sweeps North India
Rajasthan saw the mercury rise to 46.3 degrees Celcius in Ganganagar, while Barmer, Kota, Churu, and Bikaner recorded temperatures above 44 degrees. In Madhya Pradesh, Ratlam, and Nowgong reported 45.5 degrees Celcius. Haryana's Sirsa hit 47.2 degrees, with Nuhm Faridabad, and other cities also recording temperatures well above 45 degrees.
Chandigarh recorded a high of 43.2 degrees Celcius, while Punjab, Amritsar, and Ludhiana experienced temperatures of 44.5 and 43.6 degrees, respectively.
State Govts Announce Summer Holidays In Delhi, Punjab; School Timings Changed In Jammu Himachal Amid Heatwave Alert
The state government responded by advising schools to declare holidays, with the option of online classes.
The Delhi government directed all schools to begin summer vacations immediately. A circular from the Directorate of Education stated, "All schools are directed to observe summer vacation from May 11 to June 30 for this academic year".
The Punjab Government also announced summer holidays in all schools from May 21 to June 30 amid the severe heatwave.
In Jammu, authorities changed school timings to 8 AM to noon due to the extreme heat. This new schedule took effect on Monday in all government and private schools up to the higher secondary level.
Similarly, the Directorate of Higher Education in Himachal Pradesh modified the school timings in the lower hill areas after a heatwave alert for several districts.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 1,66,000 people died from heatwave between 1998 and 2017. High temperatures also reduced productivity and affected children's learning.
April had already seen record-breaking temperatures in east, northeast, and peninsular India, leading to health warnings and suspension of in-person classes in some states. IMD had earlier cautioned about extreme heat during the April-June period.
A heatwave is declared when the maximum temperature reaches at least 40 degrees Celsius in the plains, 37 degrees in coastal areas, and 30 degrees in hilly regions, with a departure from normal of at least 4.5 degrees. A severe heatwave is declared if the departure exceeds 6.4 degrees.