Rain is nowhere in sight in Delhi but it’s definitely raining records, with parts of the Capital just a touch shy of 50 degrees Celsius Mark.
Rajasthan’s Churu, meanwhile was another hottest place in India on Wednesday at 50.5° Celsius- close to its highest ever temperatures of 50.8° Celsius.
In Rajasthan’s Phalodi, 51°C in 2016 is the all time record in the country.
Temperatures in India’s capital hit a record 52.3 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, the highest ever. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) recorded this in Mungeshpur, marking the first time Delhi surpassed 50C. The IMD had issued a red alert, warning of severe heat wave conditions and the risks of heat illness.
Earlier on, the IMD had issued a red alert for many parts of India’s northwestern regions and warned of a severe heat wave day.
It found to be accurate, the temperature will not only have surpassed 50°C for the first time in Delhi since records began, but will also have smashed the previous national record of 51°C – recorded in Phalodi, a desert region in the arid western state of Rajasthan, in 2016 – by over one degree.
People across northern India have been struggling with unrelenting heat which has forced schools to close down in some cities and towns.
Hospitals have also seen a spike in heat strokes, especially amid laborers working outdoors.
In Delhi, the electricity grid groaned under record power demands of 8,302 megawatts, according to official data, while municipal authorities also warned official departments and residents to preserve water to avoid shortages.
April, May and June are generally the hottest months in India with monsoons arriving over July. The hottest months are generally accompanied by water shortages and cuts which leave millions of people struggling.
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