Orange Alert Issued In Delhi Due To Heatwave

Delhi is forecasted to have partly cloudy skies on Thursday, May 30, with heatwave conditions expected in some areas, according to the regional weather office on Wednesday. Additionally, there is a chance of a thunderstorm with very light rain or drizzle.

Traffic police were seen on duty in the scorching heat at Janpath Road in New Delhi on Wednesday. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) shifted from a 'red alert' for heatwave on Wednesday to an 'orange alert' for Thursday, predicting a drop in temperatures by 2°C to 3°C.

Regarding the Delhi weather forecast:

"Partly cloudy skies with heatwave conditions in a few places. There's a possibility of a thunderstorm or dust storm with very light rain or drizzle, accompanied by gusty winds (25-35 km/h)," stated the regional meteorological center in New Delhi for Thursday.

The weather forcast predicted a maximum temperature of around 45°C. Cloudy weather is expected to continue until June 1, after which light rain or drizzle is not anticipated until June 4, according to the meteorological center.

Kuldeep Srivastava, head of the Regional Weather Forecasting Centre at IMD, told ANI: "For Thursday, we have issued an orange alert, predicting a 2-3 degree temperature reduction. On May 31 and June 1, due to western disturbances, thunderstorms and lightning are possible in Delhi-NCR and the entire Northwest region. By June 1, temperatures are expected to decrease by 3-4 degrees."

Meanwhile, the maximum temperatures across different locations in Delhi as of 8:30 am on Thursday were:

- Safdarjung: 46.8°C

- Palam: 47.0°C

- Lodhi Road: 46.2°C

- Ridge: 47.3°C

- Ayanagar: 46.8°C

The IMD announced on Wednesday that the heatwave to severe heatwave conditions in Northwest and Central India are expected to gradually diminish from May 30.

Delhi endured record-breaking heat on Wednesday, with temperatures soaring to an unprecedented 52.3°C at 3:15 pm in Mungeshpur, located in the city's northwestern outskirts, marking the highest temperature ever recorded in India.

Union Minister for Earth Sciences Kiren Rijiju mentioned in a post on X that the 52.3°C temperature in Delhi is not official yet and is unlikely. Senior IMD officials are verifying the report, and an official statement will be released soon.