India trapped in a furnace, hits record high of 52.3°C the day after peak temperature

Power Demand Also Surges
Emergency Measures for Water Shortage Implemented

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

Cracks on the dry bed of the Sindphana River due to drought. [Image source=AP Yonhap News]

On the 29th (local time), foreign media including AFP reported that the India Meteorological Department (IMD) recorded a temperature of 52.3 degrees Celsius at the Mungeshpur temperature observation station on the outskirts of New Delhi around 2:30 PM. This is the first time daytime temperatures in New Delhi have exceeded 50 degrees Celsius, and it was also the highest temperature nationwide that day. The previous day, the Narela and Mungeshpur observation stations on the outskirts of New Delhi recorded 49.9 degrees Celsius, setting a new record for New Delhi's highest temperature just one day before this new peak.

As a result, electricity demand reached 8,302 MW due to air conditioner usage, also setting a record high. The IMD urged, "Infants, the elderly, and those with chronic illnesses should take special care during the heatwave." Additionally, the Delhi state government, which governs 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.

Although temperatures in India’s desert region of Phalodi reached 51.0 degrees Celsius in 2016 and summer temperatures often approach or exceed 50 degrees Celsius, experts have analyzed that recent heatwaves are becoming more intense and lasting longer due to climate change.

Meanwhile, local media reported that on the 23rd, the highest daytime temperature in Rajasthan, northwestern India, soared to 49 degrees Celsius, resulting in nine deaths. A 60-year-old man died while working in a field, and a singer lost consciousness and collapsed while singing at a pilgrimage site, among others, with nine people dying from heatstroke that day alone. Additionally, in June last year, nearly 100 people died from heatwaves exceeding 40 degrees Celsius in two of India’s most populous states.