North India Sweats as Heatwave Hits: Delhi’s Najafgarh Sizzles at Record-Breaking 47.4°C, Schools Shut Down
Image Credit:- Republic Tv
Large parts of North India, including Haryana and Delhi, were engulfed by severe heatwave conditions as temperatures soared to unprecedented levels. The national capital’s Najafgarh area recorded the highest temperature in the country on Monday, reaching a scorching 47.4 degrees Celsius.
The intense heatwave persisted with temperatures exceeding 45 degrees Celsius across significant regions of Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi, Chandigarh, and Uttar Pradesh, disrupting daily life and compelling many to seek shelter indoors during the hottest hours.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Monday saw heatwave to severe heatwave conditions in many places over Haryana and Delhi, with similar conditions observed in certain pockets of Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, as well as isolated pockets in Punjab, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh.
The escalating temperatures prompted the issuance of a red alert by the weather office for the next five days, warning of sustained heatwave to severe heatwave conditions in the national capital. In response to the extreme weather, several state governments, including Delhi and Punjab, implemented precautionary measures.
Schools were directed to declare holidays for a few days, while online classes were arranged to ensure uninterrupted education.
The Delhi government, through a circular from the Directorate of Education, mandated immediate closure of schools that had not yet commenced summer vacations, extending the break from May 11 to June 30 for the current academic year. Similarly, the Punjab government announced summer holidays in all government, aided, and private schools from May 21 to June 30 due to the severe heatwave conditions.
The relentless heatwave also led to a surge in Delhi’s peak power demand, reaching its highest level for May, with real-time data from the State Load Dispatch Centre registering a peak demand of 7,572 MW. This surpassed last year’s peak demand of 7,438 MW recorded on August 22. Additionally, historical temperature records were challenged, with Ayanagar in Delhi reaching 45.7 degrees Celsius, Safdarjung recording its highest maximum temperature of 47.2 degrees Celsius since 1931, and Palam hitting 48.4 degrees Celsius in 1998.
Across neighboring states, including Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Haryana, temperatures soared above 45 degrees Celsius, with some areas even surpassing 47 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile, climate scientists warned that such extreme heatwaves, exacerbated by climate change, could become significantly more frequent, occurring approximately once every 30 years and increasing in likelihood by about 45 times.
Author:- Apoorva Arora