Gurugram records its hottest April day ever

This is the highest maximum temperature recorded in Gurugram after 43 years--the maximum temperature recorded in Gurugram on April 28, 1979, was 44.8 degrees Celsius.

With the national Capital region (NCR) reeling under yet another heatwave, Gurugram witnessed its hottest April day ever on record with the mercury climbing up to 45.6 degrees Celsius on Thursday, according to data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Gurugram, India - April. 28, 2022: A woman walks under the shade of her umbrella in the midst of an ongoing heat wave in Gurugram, India, on Thursday, April 28, 2022. (Photo by Vipin Kumar/ Hindustan Times) (Vipin Kumar/HT PHOTO)

This is the highest maximum temperature recorded in Gurugram after 43 years--the maximum temperature recorded in Gurugram on April 28, 1979, was 44.8 degrees Celsius.

Thursday’s maximum temperature was six degrees above normal for this time of year, while the minimum temperature was 24.6 degrees Celsius, two degrees above normal.

Officials of IMD attributed this extreme heat to a lack of pre-monsoon activities.

“This year has been exceptionally warm. Usually, there are western disturbances around this time of year, such as cloudy skies, light rain or thunderstorms, which modulate the temperature, but this year, there has been a very long dry spell. Due to this, temperatures have been above normal this year. This year, in the month of April itself, the south Haryana region has witnessed around 10 heatwave days, which is not normal,” said a senior official from the Meteorological Centre, Chandigarh, a regional centre of IMD.

In a weather bulletin on Thursday evening, IMD issued a heatwave alert for the districts of south Haryana, including Gurugram and Faridabad, for the next four days. On Friday and Saturday, along with heatwave, dust storms are also likely over the region. A heatwave is declared if the maximum temperature is at least 40°C or more across the plains for two consecutive days with stations recording a maximum temperature that is 4.5 degrees or more above the normal.

“Over the next few days, no large change in temperatures is likely and it will remain around 44-45 degrees Celsius. The maximum temperature may increase by two degrees over the next 48 hours. Strong surface winds or dust-raising winds with speeds of 25-35kmph are likely over the state on April 29 and 30. Some relief is likely from early next week as an impact of a western disturbance,” added an IMD official.

Experts said that this year, the Gurugram district will witness around 15 heatwave days by the end of April.

Navdeep Dahiya, founder of Live Weather of India, a private weather forecasting company, said, “Before this, Delhi had witnessed such a high number of heatwave days (10) in 2010, which had an overall impact on the region. Data for Gurugram is not available, but so far, the district has not witnessed such high temperatures in April. This year, there the region saw anti-cyclonic activities, along with dry spell which advanced the summer characteristics of such high temperatures, which is usually experienced around May-end or early June.”

Mahesh Palawat, vice-president (meteorology and climate change), Skymet Weather Services, said, “Thursday’s temperature of 45.6 degrees Celsius has broken all-time records. This is due to the lack of pre-monsoon activities during the month of April, which the region usually witnesses. Over the next few days, the weather will remain the same and some relief is likely from next week.”