Delhi bakes in hottest May night in 14 years, ‘poor’ air quality grips state capital | Today’s news
Delhi witnessed another scorching day on Thursday as the city experienced its hottest May night in nearly 14 years. The heat wave continued in several areas for the fourth consecutive day.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported that Safdarjung, Delhi’s main weather station, recorded a minimum temperature of 31.9 degrees Celsius – 5.2 degrees above normal and 3.6 degrees higher than the previous day. Meanwhile, temperatures in some parts of the city hovered above 45°C.
Delhi last recorded a higher minimum temperature in May on May 26, 2012, when the mercury settled at 32.5 degrees Celsius, according to IMD data.
IMD issues orange alert for Friday
On Friday, the meteorological department issued an orange alert for the city, forecasting a minimum temperature of 32°C and a maximum of 44°C along with scorching conditions.
The official said the heat wave was likely to continue into next week and advised residents to remain cautious as the prolonged dry spell and extreme temperatures could greatly increase the risk of heat illness and heatstroke.
Safdarjung and Lodi Road were among the stations that recorded warm overnight conditions, the Met office said, as reported by PTI.
New Delhi: Visitors at India Gate on a hot summer’s day in Delhi, Wednesday, May 20, 2026. Delhi experienced a warm morning on Wednesday as the minimum temperature settled at 28.3 degrees Celsius while the Met office issued an ‘orange’ alert for heat conditions, with isolated places in the city likely to swelter in intense heat throughout the day. (PTI Photo/Salman Ali) (PTI)
A warm night is declared when the maximum temperature remains 40 degrees Celsius or more and the minimum temperature difference is between 4.5 and 6.4 degrees Celsius above normal, according to the IMD.
A heat wave prevailed in several parts of Delhi, marking the fourth consecutive day that the national capital has experienced such extreme weather.
No relief from heat, says IMD
According to the IMD, the heat wave is expected to persist in Delhi for the next seven days due to dry northwesterly and westerly winds in the lower troposphere, along with the absence of any western disturbances affecting the plains of northwest India.
Safdarjung recorded a maximum temperature of 43.6 degrees Celsius, 3.4 degrees above normal and 0.9 degrees below the previous day’s temperature.
At 45.3 degrees Celsius, Ridge recorded the highest maximum temperature in the city, 3.1 degrees above normal, while Ayanagar recorded 44.5 degrees Celsius, 2.2 degrees above normal and 0.5 degrees lower than the previous day.
Read also | Rajasthan heatwave horror: Two sisters die after getting stuck in car
Palam recorded a maximum temperature of 44.3 degrees Celsius, 3.6 degrees above normal, with a 24-hour drop of 0.6 degrees, while Lodi Road recorded 44.3 degrees Celsius, 5.3 degrees above normal and 0.3 degrees lower than the previous day.
On the minimum temperature front, Palam recorded 30.5 degrees Celsius, 3.4 degrees above normal and two degrees higher than the previous day, while Ridge recorded 30.6 degrees Celsius, 4.4 degrees above normal with a 24-hour increase of 2.6 degrees.
Lodi Road recorded a minimum temperature of 29.6 degrees Celsius, 4.6 degrees above normal and 2.8 degrees higher than the previous day, while Ayanagar recorded 27.4 degrees Celsius, 0.7 degrees above normal with an increase of 0.4 degrees.
What is a heat wave? IMD says…
According to the IMD, a heat wave is observed when the maximum temperature crosses 40 degrees Celsius and remains 4.5 to 6.4 degrees above normal.
“The heatwave conditions are expected to continue into next week. North-westerly winds have been blowing towards the state capital from the Thar desert region of Rajasthan and parts of central Pakistan for the past few days. Traveling over vast dry areas, these winds have become intensely dry by the time they reach Delhi, trapping heat near the surface and sharply intensifying the weather in Palash,” Mahewa said.
Read also | IMD issues ‘severe’ heatwave warning for Delhi, MP;
Palawat said night temperatures have remained high in recent days due to intense daytime heating.
Air quality is deteriorating
“The land does not have enough time to release the accumulated heat, leading to persistently warm nights. No thunderstorms or pre-monsoon rainfall is forecast for the next 10 days, further exacerbating the situation. These dry northwesterly winds also prevent any significant cooling and trap a lot of heat,” he said.
Palawat added that the prevailing conditions are likely to persist in the coming days, pushing several parts of Delhi-NCR into heatwave conditions.
He also said the city’s air quality has deteriorated due to dusty north-westerly winds and extremely dry conditions, resulting in higher concentrations of PM10.
Meanwhile, Delhi’s air quality was recorded in the ‘poor’ category with an AQI of 209.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), an AQI between zero and 50 is considered “good”, 51 to 100 “satisfactory”, 101 to 200 “moderate”, 201 to 300 “bad”, 301 to 400 “very bad” and 401 to 500 “s”.
