Delhi Records Warmest May Night

Delhi recorded its warmest May night in nearly 14 years on May 21, with the minimum temperature at the Safdarjung observatory settling at 31.9 degrees Celsius, according to the India Meteorological Department. The reading was 5.2 degrees above the seasonal normal, and the last higher May minimum in Delhi was 32.5 degrees Celsius on May 26, 2012, IMD data cited by Press Trust of India showed. The weather office also placed the city under an orange alert as daytime temperatures were expected to touch 46 degrees Celsius. By the morning of May 22, IMD said heatwave conditions were likely to continue in Delhi over the next seven days. ### Why did this stand out even though Delhi is already hot in May? The 31.9-degree minimum mattered because it meant the city did not cool down overnight. IMD says a "warm night" is considered only when the maximum temperature is 40 degrees Celsius or more and the minimum temperature departure is between 4.5 degrees and 6.4 degrees above normal. (ndtv.com) Safdarjung and Lodi Road met that threshold on May 21, according to IMD data carried by PTI. Safdarjung recorded 31.9 degrees Celsius, Ridge 30.6 degrees, Palam 30.5 degrees, Lodi Road 29.6 degrees and Ayanagar 27.4 degrees, with Safdarjung and Lodi Road among stations that logged warm-night conditions. ### Which parts of Delhi were hottest overnight? (ndtv.com) Safdarjung, Delhi's base weather station, recorded the highest minimum among the stations listed in the PTI report at 31.9 degrees Celsius. Ridge followed at 30.6 degrees Celsius, Palam at 30.5 degrees Celsius and Lodi Road at 29.6 degrees Celsius. IMD's Delhi-NCR weather portal on May 22 also showed several neighborhood stations still near or above 30 degrees Celsius during the morning update, including Rohini at 32.1 degrees Celsius, Punjabi Bagh at 31.8 degrees and Nehru Nagar at 31.2 degrees. (ndtv.com) Those station readings underscored how little relief some parts of the capital were getting after sunset. ### What has the weather office warned for the next few days? (ndtv.com) IMD's Delhi daily weather bulletin issued at 0930 IST on May 22 said heatwave conditions were "very likely to occur during next 7 days." The same bulletin said no large change in maximum temperatures was likely during the next seven days and no large change in minimum temperatures was likely during the next two days, before a rise of about 3 degrees Celsius on May 25 and a fall of about 1 degree thereafter. (mausam.imd.gov.in) The orange alert in Delhi was issued as the maximum temperature was expected to touch 46 degrees Celsius, PTI reported. IMD's broader national update for the period from May 21 to June 3 said heatwave to severe heatwave conditions were likely to continue over the plains of northwest and central India and adjoining east India during the week. (mausam.imd.gov.in) ### What were conditions like on the ground after the record night? IMD's May 22 Delhi bulletin said heatwave conditions had been observed at a few places in Delhi during the previous 24 hours. The bulletin said maximum temperatures were in the range of 44-45 degrees Celsius over the past 24 hours, while minimum temperatures were in the range of 27-29 degrees Celsius by the morning of May 22 after a fall of 2-3 degrees from the previous day. (ndtv.com) At 9 a.m. on May 21, Delhi's air quality was in the "moderate" category with an Air Quality Index of 153, according to Central Pollution Control Board data cited by PTI. ### Where can residents track the next updates? IMD's Delhi-NCR forecast page listed city forecasts for May 22 through May 26, 2026, alongside station observations and warning displays. (mausam.imd.gov.in) The Delhi daily weather bulletin issued on May 22 said the next key changes to watch were the expected rise in minimum temperatures on May 25 and the continuation of heatwave conditions through the coming week. (mausam.imd.gov.in) (ndtv.com)