IMD issues yellow alert for heatwave in Delhi

The maximum temperature in the Capital is expected to rise by two to three degrees Celsius (°C) by the weekend

Published on: Apr 24, 2025, 05:38:19 IST

By Jasjeev Gandhiok

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Visitors at the Red Fort cover their heads to shield themselves from the midday sun. (Sanchit Khanna/HT Photo)

The maximum temperature in the Capital is expected to rise by two to three degrees Celsius (°C) by the weekend due to a combination of clear skies and dry westerly winds, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said, as it issued a yellow alert for a possible heatwave on Friday and Saturday.

On Wednesday, Delhi clocked a maximum temperature of 39.6°C, which, despite decreasing by 0.3°C from a day prior, was two degrees above normal. According to the forecasts, the maximum is set to be in the 40-42°C range on Friday and Saturday, officials said.

“A gradual rise in temperature is expected in the plains. Westerly winds are expected and we will see clear skies, with the maximum possibly touching 42-43°C by Saturday,” an IMD official said.

IMD classifies weather conditions as a heatwave when the maximum temperature is over 40°C, alongside a departure of 4.5°C or more than normal at the higher end. It is also a heatwave if the maximum is over 45°C in the plains. It is a “severe heatwave” if the maximum is over 40°C and the departure is 6.5°C or more above normal.

Mahesh Palawat, vice president at Skymet, said that while a western disturbance is expected from Thursday, it will only impact the hills. “In the plains, we will still see westerly winds, which are dry. They will raise mercury till Saturday, before a possible drop from Sunday as this western disturbance brings easterly winds again,” he said.

Delhi recorded its highest maximum of the season on April 21, when it touched 41.3°C. Last year, the highest maximum recorded in April was 40.5°C, on April 27. In 2023, it was 40.6°C (April 18) and in 2022, it touched 43.5°C (April 29 and 30). The all-time high in April is 45.6°C, which was recorded on April 29, 1941.

Nights are also set to get warmer in the Capital. Delhi’s minimum temperature was clocked at 19.7°C on Wednesday, which was three degrees below normal and down from 20.9°C recorded a day prior. Forecasts show the minimum is expected to be in the 20-22°C range on Thursday, in the 22-24°C range on Friday and in the 23-25°C range on Saturday.

Delhi’s air quality, meanwhile, remained in the “poor” category for a third consecutive day. The average air quality index on Wednesday was 224 (“poor”), according to the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB’s) daily AQI bulletin. Centre’s Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi (EWS) predicted a “poor” AQI on Thursday and Friday, before improving to “moderate” over the weekend.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jasjeev Gandhiok
Jasjeev Gandhiok is an Assistant Editor with Hindustan Times, where he covers environment, climate change, the clean energy transition and wildlife at the National Bureau. Gandhiok has over a decade of experience in journalism and is based in Delhi. He has reported extensively on Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR). This includes the region's air pollution woes, a polluted Yamuna and on urban wildlife still thriving in the region. He joined HT in October 2021. Prior to that, he had five-year stint at The Times of India in Delhi, where he also covered Delhi, with a focus on environment and wildlife. Gandhiok has covered some recent events around the Capital too, ranging from the farmers' protests, the northeast Delhi riots and the CAA-NRC protests, reporting from the ground on all of these. He also travels across the country to report on how environment and climate change impact everyday life, while also writing on endangered species. His reports in 2019 on toxic leachate from Delhi's landfills led to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) taking suo motu cognisance and ultimately asking the state government to start bio-mining to flatten and remove all three landfills in the capital. He also closely tracks the implementation of government policies on climate, renewable energy and environmental protection. His focus remains on impactful, public-interest journalism which explains how environmental decisions affect people's everyday lives.Read More

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