Delhi witnesses light rainfall, breeze brings brief relief amid continuing heatwave conditions
New Delhi, May 23
After days of scorching heat, parts of Delhi experienced a brief change in weather on Saturday morning, with grey clouds covering the sky and a light breeze bringing some relief to residents.
The temperature in the national capital dipped to 29.6°C from 33°C, according to data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD), offering short-term respite from the prevailing heatwave conditions.
Earlier on Friday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) updated that heat wave conditions are very likely to occur during the next 6 days, as per IMD's Daily Weather Report and Forecast Bulletin.
Heat waves are a period of unusually high temperatures compared to what is normally expected over a region. Several states are gripped by the extreme heat with temperatures over 40°C, according to IMD.
"Heat wave to severe heat wave conditions prevailed in a few pockets over East Uttar Pradesh & Vidarbha; Heat wave conditions in many pockets of Haryana, Chandigarh & Delhi and Himachal Pradesh; in some pockets of East Madhya Pradesh; in isolated pockets of Uttarakhand, Odisha, Punjab, West Uttar Pradesh & Coastal Andhra Pradesh," said IMD.
In response to the rising temperatures, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann announced on the social media platform X that the timing of all government offices and public and private schools across the state would be revised. Starting Monday, May 25, institutions will operate from 7:30 AM to 1:30 PM.
In the national capital, a formal heatwave condition was established at the Ridge station on Friday, where the maximum temperature hit a blistering 45.3°C. Meanwhile, Lodhi Road registered a 44.3°C. Other major tracking stations recorded similarly oppressive conditions, with Ayanagar at 44.5°C, Palam at 44.3°C, and Safdarjung at 43.6°C.
IMD has also issued a warning for East Uttar Pradesh, stating that severe heatwave conditions are likely to continue until May 28.
To categorise the ongoing threat, the India Meteorological Department has maintained an extensive multi-tiered alert system across the country.
An 'Orange' alert remains active for Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, and coastal Andhra Pradesh, signalling that authorities must maintain a high state of readiness.
Simultaneously, a severe 'Red' alert has been designated for the southern districts of Uttar Pradesh, the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra, and north coastal Andhra Pradesh.IMD scientist Naresh Kumar confirmed that these intense heatwave conditions across northwest, central, and parts of eastern India are statistically projected to persist for at least the next 5 to 7 days.
"Heatwave conditions across north-west India, central India and east India will continue for the next 5-7 days. J&K, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand are expected to see light rainfall in the next 3-4 days due to a western disturbance developing in the western Himalayas. Delhi-NCR will see temperatures in the range of 44-46 degrees Celsius for the next 6-7 days," he said.
As the heat continues to run at maximum capacity, the civil population has widely adapted to defensive measures. Across major urban sectors, citizens moving outdoors are uniformly using umbrellas, wide-brimmed hats, and fabric scarves to shield their skin from direct solar radiation.
— ANI
Reader Comments
I know this is just a drop in the ocean, but honestly, even that little breeze this morning made my chai taste better. Temperature might rise again but for now, I'll just enjoy these grey clouds. Stay safe everyone, especially the kids and elderly. Heatwaves are no joke.
The orange and red alerts are serious. My friend lives in Vidarbha and he said it's like living inside an oven. I wish our government would focus more on long-term solutions like tree planting and better urban planning. Band-aid measures won't save us from these extreme temperatures 😅
Light rain in Delhi feels like a mini-vacation. But what about the poor chaiwallahs, construction workers, and delivery boys who have to work outside in this heat? We need more drinking water booths and shaded rest areas for them. Respect to all the hardworking people keeping the city running despite this brutal weather.
My street dogs were so happy with the rain, they were running around like puppies. Animals suffer too in these conditions. We put out water bowls for them but it evaporates so quickly. Please everyone, if you can, keep water out for birds and strays. This heatwave is going to last another week at least.
I'm a daily commuter from Noida to Delhi and yesterday the temperature touched 45°C. I think the government could do more to mitigate the urban heat island effect. More trees, less concrete. But yeah, today's drizzle did feel nice. Let's hope this isn't the last we see of clouds this season.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.