Delhi hits season's first heatwave
- Delhi recorded its first citywide heatwave of the 2026 season on Saturday, with Safdarjung, the capital’s base observatory, reaching 42.8 degrees Celsius as multiple stations crossed India Meteorological Department thresholds. - Four of Delhi’s five key weather stations met the dual criteria for a formal heatwave declaration, while Ridge touched 44.5 degrees Celsius and Safdarjung stood 5.1 degrees above normal. - The India Meteorological Department said heatwave conditions should ease after April 27, with light rain and thunderstorms forecast from Monday through Wednesday. (imd.gov.in)
Delhi entered its first citywide heatwave of 2026 on Saturday after Safdarjung, the capital’s base weather station, hit 42.8 degrees Celsius. (hindustantimes.com) The India Meteorological Department said Safdarjung was 5.1 degrees Celsius above normal, enough to meet one of its heatwave tests for the plains. Four of Delhi’s five key stations also met the department’s dual criteria at the same time. (hindustantimes.com) (msn.com) Other parts of the city ran hotter. Ridge reached 44.5 degrees Celsius, Ayanagar hit 43.2 degrees Celsius, and Lodhi Road recorded 42.6 degrees Celsius on Saturday. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com) (biglive.com) A heatwave in India is not just “very hot weather.” The India Meteorological Department classifies one in the plains when the maximum temperature reaches at least 40 degrees Celsius and is 4.5 to 6.4 degrees above normal, or when it touches 45 degrees Celsius regardless of departure. (msn.com) That made Saturday more than a bad afternoon. It was Delhi’s hottest April day in four years and the hottest day of 2026 so far in the capital. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com) (indiatvnews.com) The weather office issued a yellow alert for Delhi and warned that heatwave conditions were likely over parts of Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. Delhi’s administration activated its Heatwave Action Plan covering hospitals, water supply and public safety measures. (mausam.imd.gov.in) (msn.com) The forecast points to a short break rather than a long cooldown. The India Meteorological Department said heatwave conditions over northwest and central India were likely for the next three days and then expected to abate. (mausam.imd.gov.in) For Delhi, that means possible relief starting Monday, April 27. Several reports citing the weather office said light rain and thunderstorms were expected from Monday through Wednesday, which could pull temperatures down after the weekend spike. (indiatvnews.com) (timesofindia.indiatimes.com) Until then, the capital is spending late April under conditions that already match peak-summer stress, with neighborhoods above 44 degrees Celsius and the season’s first formal heatwave now on the books. (hindustantimes.com) (timesofindia.indiatimes.com)
