At 43.8°C, Capital swelters

Safdarjung, Delhi’s base observatory, recorded a maximum of 43.8°C on Tuesday — 3.9°C above normal and the highest the season so far, eclipsing Monday’s 43.4°C

New Delhi: If Monday turned up the heat, Tuesday cranked it higher. It was so hot in Delhi on Tuesday that the mercury breached Monday’s record to mark the season’s hottest day, with heatwave conditions reported in parts of the city. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an orange alert, warning of potentially adverse weather.

Men cover themselves with a cloth on a hot summer day in the old quarters of Delhi on Tuesday. (AFP)

Safdarjung, Delhi’s base observatory, recorded a maximum of 43.8°C — 3.9°C above normal and the highest the season so far, eclipsing Monday’s 43.4°C. Before that, the season’s peak was 42.3°C, logged on May 16.

Heatwave conditions were reported from isolated areas such as Lodhi Road, Ridge and Ayanagar, with Ayanagar topping the charts at 45.5°C — its second consecutive day above the 45°C mark. IMD declares a heatwave when the maximum exceeds 40°C with a departure of at least 4.5°C from normal, or breaches 45°C outright.

Though slightly better than Monday, the “real feel” temperature remained higher than the actual maximum. Factoring in humidity, which swung between 24% and 48%, the heat index peaked at 47.1°C by mid-afternoon.

The wet-bulb temperature — a key indicator of heat stress — was 26.2°C at Safdarjung, lower than Monday’s 28.17°C but still close to thresholds that increase the risk of heatstroke.

An orange alert has been issued for Wednesday as well.

“Heatwave conditions are likely to persist on Wednesday, with dust-raising winds of 20–30 km/hour. Gradual respite is expected over northwest India from Friday,” said an IMD scientist, asking not to be named.

A yellow alert has been issued for Friday, with forecasts of very light to light rain, along with thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds — all expected to bring down the temperatures.

The minimum temperature remained steady, recorded at 27.8°C — nearly unchanged from Monday’s 27.6°C. IMD has forecast further rise in both minimum and maximum temperatures on Wednesday, with the maximum temperature expected to hover between 44°C and 46°C. The minimum, too, is expected to rise on Wednesday and stay in the range of 28-30°C.

This run of heatwave days has caught the city off guard. The month of May saw unusually high rainfall that kept temperatures in check, with no heatwave days — a sharp contrast to six in May last year. April, however, had recorded three heatwave days this year, compared to none in 2024.

Air quality in the Capital remained in the ‘poor’ category. The air quality index (AQI) stood at 215 (poor) at 4pm Tuesday, according to the Central Pollution Control Board’s daily bulletin. This was slightly better than Monday’s 235 (poor), but worse than Sunday’s 198, which fell in the ‘moderate’ range.

Forecasts by the Air Quality Early Warning System (AQEWS) suggest the AQI will remain ‘poor’ through Thursday, before improving to ‘moderate’ by Friday.

“The air quality is likely to be in the poor category from Wednesday to Thursday. The air quality is likely to be in the moderate category on Friday. Ozone will become predominant at some stations in the afternoon for a few hours owing to clear sky and strong sunlight. The outlook for the subsequent six days is that the air quality is likely to be in the moderate to poor category,” the AQEWS bulletin said on Tuesday evening.

With both mercury and pollution levels running high, residents have been advised to stay indoors during peak afternoon hours, stay hydrated, and avoid strenuous activity — precautions that could prove crucial as the Capital braces for more extreme days ahead.