Delhi-NCR Faces Prolonged Heatwave

The India Meteorological Department said on May 22 that intense heatwave conditions were likely to continue across Delhi-NCR until May 27, keeping the national capital under an orange alert. The warning comes after several parts of Delhi crossed 45 degrees Celsius and after Safdarjung, the city’s base weather station, logged a minimum temperature of 31.9 degrees Celsius on May 21. The weather agency’s national heat bulletin said heatwave conditions were already prevailing in many pockets of Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi. It also said severe heatwave conditions were likely in some or many pockets of that region from May 24 to May 27. ### How long is the heat expected to last in Delhi-NCR? The India Meteorological Department said Delhi-NCR residents were likely to face intense heatwave conditions until May 27, with no immediate break in the daytime heat. The agency’s May 22 national guidance said heatwave to severe heatwave conditions were likely to continue over the plains of northwest India for the next six to seven days. The May 22 heat bulletin said heatwave conditions were very likely in isolated or some pockets of Punjab and Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi from May 22 to May 28. (mausam.imd.gov.in) The same bulletin said severe heatwave conditions were likely in some or many pockets from May 24 to May 27. ### Why are nights drawing as much attention as daytime highs? Safdarjung recorded a minimum temperature of 31.9 degrees Celsius on May 21, which the IMD and local reports described as Delhi’s warmest May night in 14 years. (mausam.imd.gov.in) The reading was 5.2 degrees above normal, and local reports said it marked the season’s first “warm night” in the capital. (mausam.imd.gov.in) The Times of India, citing IMD data, said the last time Delhi recorded a higher May minimum was in 2012. The report also said Delhi had last seen warm night conditions on April 9 and 10, 2025. Warm nights matter because the heat does not ease after sunset, extending exposure for residents without cooling. That characterization of prolonged thermal stress was made in local coverage citing the IMD warning. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com) ### What temperatures has the weather agency recorded? The IMD’s May 22 heat bulletin said maximum temperatures across northwest, west, central and adjoining east India were in the 40-47 degrees Celsius range the previous day. It said Delhi was among places where temperatures were appreciably above normal. The IMD’s Delhi-NCR forecast page showed late-night readings on May 23 that were still elevated across several local stations, including 34.0 degrees Celsius at Palam, 35.6 degrees Celsius at Ayanagar and 32.1 degrees Celsius at Rohini at the time of the snapshot. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com) Those station readings are not daily maxima, but they illustrate how high temperatures remained across the region outside peak afternoon hours. ### What has the IMD said publicly about the wider heatwave? (mausam.imd.gov.in) IMD scientist Naresh Kumar told ANI that northwest India, central India and most of east India were continuously in the grip of heatwave conditions. He said the agency had issued an orange alert for Punjab, Haryana, the NCR-Delhi region, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha, coastal Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. The same comments said red alerts had been issued for east Uttar Pradesh, east Madhya Pradesh and parts of Vidarbha for the next three days. (mausam.imd.gov.in) That places Delhi-NCR inside a broader multi-state heat event rather than an isolated city forecast. ### How are authorities responding in Delhi? Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the government was working in “mission mode” to limit the heatwave’s impact on residents after the city reported a major heatstroke case. (ddnews.gov.in) The Times of India, citing PTI, reported that a 24-year-old man traveling by train was admitted unconscious to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital on Thursday morning. Gupta said 13 mobile heat relief units were being sent to crowded areas with drinking water, oral rehydration salts, first aid supplies, cotton cloths and caps. Dr. Neeraj Nishchal of AIIMS told the newspaper that dehydration and electrolyte imbalance could turn fatal if ignored. ### Where can residents track the next official updates? (timesofindia.indiatimes.com) The IMD’s Delhi-NCR forecast portal lists daily city and NCR updates through May 26, including station-level observations for Delhi, Gurugram, Faridabad, Gautam Buddh Nagar and Ghaziabad. The national heatwave guidance page also links the daily impact-based heatwave warning bulletin, and the May 22 bulletin projects heatwave conditions in Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi through May 28. (mausam.imd.gov.in) (timesofindia.indiatimes.com)