IMD issues May 24–29 heatwave alert for Delhi‑NCR

India’s weather office said on May 24 that heatwave to severe heatwave conditions were likely over northwest India through May 29, putting Delhi-NCR back under warning after a brief break from thunderstorms and scattered rain. The India Meteorological Department, or IMD, issued the alert in a national press release posted on its website. Delhi’s local forecast page also showed temperatures rising again across the region early Sunday after the overnight relief. The warning covers a period when daytime highs in parts of the capital region are expected to return to the mid-40s Celsius, according to local media reports citing IMD forecasts. ### What exactly did IMD warn on May 24? The IMD said on May 24 that “heat wave to severe heat wave conditions” were likely to continue over central India during the next seven days and over northwest India from May 24 to May 29. The national weather office published that language in a press release on its main website. The same update also said east adjoining peninsular India faced heatwave conditions from May 23 to May 26. (mausam.imd.gov.in) Northwest India in IMD usage includes Delhi and surrounding areas, and Delhi-NCR was already under local heat alerts in the days before Sunday. Reports published on May 23 and May 24 said IMD expected heatwave conditions to grip Delhi again from Sunday onward after the short-lived rain break. ### Why did the warning come right after rain in Delhi-NCR? (mausam.imd.gov.in) Saturday’s thunderstorms and scattered rainfall brought temporary relief across parts of Delhi-NCR, but the respite was not expected to last. Media reports citing IMD said strong winds, lightning and rain interrupted the heat only briefly before hot and dry conditions were forecast to return. (hindustantimes.com) The IMD’s Delhi-NCR forecast page on May 24 showed the region had already warmed by early morning. Ayanagar was listed at 35.6 degrees Celsius, New Delhi at 32.6 degrees, Palam at 32.0 degrees and Rohini at 32.1 degrees in the early readings displayed on the site. Those readings came hours after the rain spell that had cooled some neighborhoods. ### What does this mean for Delhi-NCR over the next few days? (msn.com) Delhi-NCR is expected to move back into a stretch of intense daytime heat through at least the middle of the coming week. Reports published Sunday said the region could remain under severe heatwave conditions from May 23 to May 28, with only limited rainfall activity and no sustained relief. (mausam.imd.gov.in) The same reporting said temperatures in Delhi were likely to approach 45 degrees Celsius again after the rain break. Earlier this week, Delhi had already recorded season highs above 44 degrees Celsius, underscoring how little cooling the storm system delivered. ### Which official sources are carrying the live forecast? (economictimes.indiatimes.com) The IMD’s main website carried the May 24 national press release and listed New Delhi-Safdarjung at 30.0 degrees Celsius at 05:30 IST on Sunday. The site also linked daily weather briefings and forecast products for the coming week. The Delhi-NCR forecast portal published station-level observations for Delhi, Gurugram, Faridabad, Gautam Budh Nagar and Ghaziabad. (livemint.com) That page is the main official source for local temperature readings, thunderstorm warnings and day-by-day forecast changes across the capital region. ### What should readers watch next in the official forecast? May 29 is the outer date in IMD’s current northwest India heatwave window, and Delhi-NCR’s daily forecast pages are expected to show whether the warning is extended, reduced or replaced by thunderstorm alerts. (mausam.imd.gov.in) IMD’s New Delhi regional center also posts color-coded warnings and public advisories tied to local conditions. The next concrete updates will come from IMD’s daily Delhi-NCR forecast tables, station observations and national weather bulletins published through the week ending May 29. (mausam.imd.gov.in 1) (mausam.imd.gov.in 2)