Heatwave Set to Grip Northwest India for 6 Days; Delhi May Soar to 42°C: IMD
New Delhi, Apr 4: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Friday issued a heatwave alert for Northwest India, forecasting soaring temperatures over the next six days. Delhi is likely to experience maximum temperatures of up to 42 degrees Celsius by April 6 or 7.
The affected regions include south Haryana, Delhi, west Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and west Madhya Pradesh. IMD officials stated that maximum temperatures in parts of central and northwest India are expected to rise by 2 to 4 degrees Celsius during this period.
Earlier this week, the IMD had warned of above-normal temperatures across India between April and June, predicting more frequent and intense heatwave days in central and eastern India as well as the northwestern plains.
Typically, India records between four to seven heatwave days during the summer months of April to June. However, this year, several states may experience a significantly higher count. Eastern Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha are expected to witness as many as 10 to 11 heatwave days.
Other states likely to be severely impacted include Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and northern regions of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
India endured an exceptionally intense summer in 2023, logging 536 heatwave days — the highest in 14 years. Additionally, 2024 has already been recorded as the warmest year both nationally and globally. The country experienced its first heatwave of the year unusually early, on February 27–28.
While heatwaves are a common occurrence during April and May, experts attribute their increasing frequency and severity to climate change. A 2022 study warned that the risk of extreme heatwaves could rise tenfold this century, with over 70 percent of India’s landmass vulnerable to severe heat conditions.
According to climate data, 12 of India’s warmest years have occurred since 2006, with 2016 standing as the hottest year on record to date.
