Severe heatwave grips north India; Delhi on red alert as heat index hits 51.9°C

A brutal heatwave swept northwest and central India on Wednesday, with temperatures climbing to 48 degrees Celsius in Rajasthan's Sri Ganganagar, the highest in the country.

In the national capital, the heat index, a measure of how hot it feels when humidity is factored in, touched an alarming 51.9 degrees Celsius. Temperatures ranged from 40.9 to 45.0 degree Celsius across various weather stations in Delhi.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the extreme heat is expected to persist until June 13. After that, light to moderate rainfall may bring some relief to parts of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.

The IMD also said the southwest monsoon, which has stalled near Maharashtra's coast since May 26–27, is expected to revive in the next two to three days.

India experienced a cooler-than-usual May because the monsoon arrived early and moved quickly in the first few days, along with frequent thunderstorms in the northwest and central parts of the country.

But the lack of rainfall since early June has caused temperatures to rise rapidly, triggering heatwave conditions across large parts of northwest and central India since June 8-9.

Official data shows that at least 22 locations in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh recorded maximum temperatures of 44 degrees Celsius or more on Wednesday.

According to IMD data, Sri Ganganagar in Rajasthan recorded the highest temperature at a blistering 48.0 degrees Celsius, 6.5 degrees Celsius above normal.

Other parts of Rajasthan such as Chittorgarh (45.7 degrees Celsius), Churu and Phalodi (45.8 degrees Celsius each) and Jaipur (44.4 degrees Celsius) also reported extreme heat.

In Uttar Pradesh, Agra recorded 45.4 degrees Celsius and Orai 45.2 degrees Celsius. Rohtak in Haryana touched 46.2 degrees Celsius and Hisar reached 44.3 degrees Celsius. Amritsar in Punjab (45.8 degrees Celsius) and Jammu (44.4 degrees Celsius) also faced high temperatures.

Even parts of the hill states of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir have been experiencing hotter-than-usual temperatures over the past few days.

Una recorded the highest temperature in Himachal Pradesh at 43.5 degrees Celsius. Sirsa in Haryana at 46.6 degrees Celsius and Amritsar in Punjab at 45.8 degrees Celsius recorded the highest temperatures in the respective states.

A red warning, which means urgent action is needed, has been issued for Delhi, Punjab, Haryana and parts of Rajasthan for June 12 and 13.

An orange warning, which urges preparedness, is in effect for Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.

"No significant change in maximum temperatures is likely over northwest and central India during the next two to three days," the IMD said, predicting a gradual fall by two to four degrees Celsius thereafter.

The intense heat is putting pressure on electricity grids, with states including Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Andhra Pradesh reporting increases in power demand.

The Uttar Pradesh government on Wednesday invoked provisions of the Uttar Pradesh Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA), 1966, to prohibit strikes in the electricity department for six months.

Severe and frequent heatwaves are also deepening hardships for low-income households that have limited access to water and cooling.

Experts warn that outdoor workers, the elderly and children are most at risk of heat exhaustion and heatstroke.

Last year, hospitals in India reported around 48,000 cases of heatstroke and 159 deaths caused by extreme heat.

Between 2015 and 2022, 8,171 people died due to extreme heat outside hospitals, according to data from the National Crime Records Bureau.

Health Ministry data accessed by PTI shows that 3,812 heat-related deaths were recorded in hospitals during this period.

However, experts say that India’s fragmented death reporting systems and the challenge of linking deaths directly to heat exposure mean the official numbers are likely far lower than the actual toll.