The India Meteorological Department (IMD) is investigating an unprecedented temperature reading of 52.9 degrees Celsius reported by the Mungeshpur automatic weather station in Delhi. This temperature, the highest ever recorded in India, is being scrutinized to ensure the accuracy of the sensor, according to IMD Director General M. Mohapatra.
Dr. Mohapatra noted that out of the 20 monitoring stations in Delhi, 14 have shown a temperature drop, with the city’s average temperature ranging between 45 and 50 degrees Celsius. He described the Mungeshpur station as an “outlier” and emphasized the need for confirmation of the reading.
A team of specialists has been dispatched to Mungeshpur to inspect the temperature sensor. Dr. Mohapatra suggested that local factors might have contributed to the unusually high temperature reading.
The IMD released a statement later in the evening, stating, “The maximum temperature over Delhi NCR varied from 45.2 to 49.1 degrees Celsius in different parts of the city. Mungeshpur reported 52.9 degrees Celsius as an outlier compared to other stations. It could be due to error in the sensor or the local factor. IMD is examining the data and sensors.”
Earth Sciences Minister Kiren Rijiju added, “It is not official yet. Temperature of 52.9 degrees Celsius in Delhi is very unlikely. Our senior officials in IMD have been asked to verify the news report. The official position will be stated soon.”
Explaining the cause of rising temperatures, IMD regional head Kuldeep Srivastava mentioned that the outskirts of Delhi are the first to be hit by hot winds from Rajasthan. “Areas like Mungeshpur, Narela, and Najafgarh are particularly susceptible to the early arrival of these hot winds, worsening the already severe weather,” Srivastava told PTI.
The recorded temperature was more than nine degrees higher than expected and surpassed the previous record of 49.2 degrees Celsius set in 2002. The city’s primary weather station, Safdarjung observatory, recorded a maximum temperature of 46.8 degrees Celsius, the highest in 79 years.
Delhi experienced brief rain on Wednesday evening, which is likely to increase humidity levels. The IMD has issued a red alert health notice for Delhi, warning of a “very high likelihood of developing heat illness and heat stroke in all ages” and advising “extreme care needed for vulnerable people.”
India has frequently faced extreme summer temperatures, and scientific research indicates that climate change is intensifying the frequency, duration, and severity of heatwaves.
Amid the heatwave, Delhi’s power demand soared to an all-time high of 8,302 megawatts (MW) as residents increasingly relied on air-conditioning, according to electricity department officials.
Other areas also reported extreme temperatures, including Phalodi in Rajasthan at 51 degrees Celsius and Sirsa in Haryana at 50.3 degrees Celsius. A fall of up to 4 degrees Celsius in southern Rajasthan districts indicates the beginning of heatwave reduction over northwest India.
Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) data, which utilizes computer models to forecast weather, suggests a decreasing trend in temperatures, with relief expected to extend northwards from May 30. Additionally, the incursion of moist winds from the Bay of Bengal from Thursday is likely to cause a gradual fall in maximum temperatures over Uttar Pradesh.
