"Record-Breaking Heatwave"… New Delhi, India Hits 52.3°C Daytime Temperature

Record High Power Demand Including Air Conditioner Use
Heatwaves Intensify Due to Climate Change... Authorities Warn of Water Shortages

Daytime temperatures in New Delhi, the capital of India, soared to 52.3 degrees Celsius, marking the highest temperature ever recorded.

▲El Ni?o occurs when sea surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific Ocean rise abnormally. [Photo by NASA]

According to major foreign media on the 29th, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) announced that at around 2:30 PM, the temperature at the Mungeshpur weather station on the outskirts of New Delhi reached 52.3 degrees Celsius. This is the first time daytime temperatures in New Delhi have exceeded 50 degrees.

The previous day, the suburban Narela and Mungeshpur weather stations also recorded daytime temperatures of 49.9 degrees Celsius, setting the highest temperature ever recorded in New Delhi. Thus, New Delhi’s daytime temperature broke the record again following the previous day.

On this day, New Delhi’s daytime temperature was even higher than the nationwide highest temperature of 50.5 degrees recorded the previous day in northwestern Rajasthan. In the desert region of Rajasthan, Palodi recorded 51.0 degrees in 2016, which was the highest temperature at that time.

In India, summer temperatures have often approached or exceeded 50 degrees Celsius. However, recently, due to climate change, heatwaves have become longer and more intense.

On the 29th, as New Delhi’s daytime temperature soared to a record high, electricity demand reached 8,302 MW due to air conditioner usage, setting a new record. The IMD urged infants, the elderly, and those with chronic illnesses to take special precautions against the heatwave.

The Delhi government, which has jurisdiction over New Delhi, warned of water shortages and implemented emergency measures such as reducing the frequency of tap water supply in some areas from twice a day to once a day.