No relief in sight from the scorching heat appears to be coming soon, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Thursday extending heatwave warnings across several parts of the country till at least May 27. According to the weather office, northwest India is likely to witness mostly dry weather and clear skies over the coming days, intensifying the impact of the extreme temperatures.
Large parts of the northern plains continue to reel under severe heatwave conditions, with temperatures remaining 3 to 6 degrees above normal for this time of the year.
Banda boils at 48 degrees Celsius
Uttar Pradesh’s Banda recorded a blistering 48 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, while Delhi has been witnessing temperatures between 44 and 46 degrees Celsius for the third straight day. On Thursday, the Lodhi Road weather station in the national capital recorded 44.3 degrees Celsius, which was 5.3 degrees Celsius above normal.
Night temperatures have also remained unusually high, worsening discomfort and increasing health risks. Warm night conditions prevailed in several regions, including Delhi, where the minimum temperature settled between 29 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius on Wednesday night, around 4.5 notches above normal.
Heatwave alert for Delhi-NCR, Haryana and Punjab
The IMD has predicted heatwave to severe heatwave conditions in many or some pockets of Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi from May 21 to May 27. Punjab is also likely to experience heatwave conditions during the same period.
East Uttar Pradesh is expected to witness heatwave to severe heatwave conditions in a few or isolated pockets from May 21 to May 27, while West Uttar Pradesh is likely to remain under heatwave conditions throughout the period.
West Rajasthan is expected to face severe heatwave conditions from May 25 to May 27, while heatwave conditions are likely from May 21 to May 24. East Rajasthan is also likely to remain under heatwave conditions from May 21 to May 27.
The weather office has also predicted heatwave conditions in isolated pockets of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand on May 21.
Central and eastern India
The IMD said isolated or some pockets of East Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha, Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Yanam are likely to witness heatwave to severe heatwave conditions from May 21 to May 25. East Madhya Pradesh may continue to experience heatwave conditions on May 26 and 27.
Heatwave conditions are also likely in Bihar and Telangana from May 21 to May 24, Odisha from May 21 to May 25, and Jharkhand on May 22 and 23.
Southern states also affected
Parts of Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal are expected to witness heatwave conditions on May 21 and 22, according to the IMD.
Warm night conditions continue
Warm night conditions are very likely to prevail in isolated pockets of Odisha from May 21 to May 25. Uttar Pradesh and Vidarbha may witness unusually warm nights from May 21 to May 23, while Bihar is likely to experience similar conditions on May 21.
The IMD has also warned of warm night conditions in Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi on May 21 and 22.
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