Delhi heatwave: At 25.6 degrees Celsius, Capital records highest night temperature in April in three years
Delhi weather: Delhi recorded its first heatwave of the season on Monday, with the maximum temperature soaring to 40.2 degrees Celsius. On Wednesday, the city experienced its warmest night of the season.
Delhi experienced its first 'warm' night of April on Wednesday, as the minimum temperature rose to a scorching 25.6 degrees Celsius, the highest recorded for the month in the past three years. This marks the continuation of an intense heatwave that has been gripping the capital for the third consecutive day, according to data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The sweltering conditions have left Delhiites feeling the full brunt of an early summer as temperatures soar.
The maximum temperature remained above 40 degrees Celsius at several locations on Wednesday. IMD’s primary weather station at Safdarjung recorded a maximum temperature of 40.5 degrees Celsius, which is 5.4 degrees Celsius higher than what is considered normal for this time of year. Other areas in Delhi also reported similarly high temperatures, with Ayanagar reaching 40.9 degrees Celsius, Palam registering 40.3 degrees Celsius, and Ridge recording 40.2 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile, Lodhi Road recorded a slightly lower high of 39.7 degrees Celsius, but still well above the usual for the month of April.
Heatwave in Delhi
The ongoing heatwave, which has persisted for several days, has led to dangerous and uncomfortable conditions across the city. For three consecutive days, the maximum temperature in Delhi has hovered near or above the 40°C mark, pushing the limits of what is typical for the early summer season. As a result, four out of the five weather stations across Delhi have reported heatwave conditions.
A heatwave is officially declared when the maximum temperature in the plains reaches at least 40 degrees Celsius or when the temperature departs from the normal average by 4.5 degrees Celsius to 6.4 degrees Celsius.
Delhi temperature
Delhi recorded its first heatwave of the season on Monday, with the maximum temperature soaring to 40.2 degrees Celsius. On Wednesday, the city experienced its warmest night of the season so far, as the minimum temperature settled at 25.6 degrees Celsius — 5.6 degrees above the normal for April. This marked the highest minimum temperature in the month of April in the last three years, as per the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
A similar pattern was observed in 2022, when the highest minimum temperature in April reached 26.2 degrees Celsius. According to the IMD, warm night conditions were recorded at Palam on Tuesday, but on Wednesday, they were observed at all five synoptic stations across the city.
The IMD defines a 'warm night' when the minimum temperature deviates from normal by 4.5 degrees Celsius to 6.4 degrees Celsius, and it is only declared when the maximum temperature reaches 40 degrees Celsius or higher. Notably, in both 2023 and 2024, the minimum temperature did not exceed 25 degrees Celsius in April, highlighting the unusually high temperatures this year.
The highest minimum temperature in 2024 was 24 degrees Celsius, while in 2023, it was 23.6 degrees.
(PTI inputs)