Delhi temperature soars to ‘unbearable’ above 50 degrees Celsius

Parts of northern and central India are being hit by a severe heat wave, with Delhi recording a provisional temperature of 52.3 degrees Celsius (126.1 degrees Fahrenheit).

If confirmed, this would be the highest ever recorded in India.

More than 37 cities Temperatures in the country have exceeded 45 degrees Celsius this week.

Warnings for heat-related illnesses have been issued, with at least three deaths reported so far.

Soma Sen Roy of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) told the BBC that a team had been sent to Delhi’s Mungeshpur district, where a temperature of 52.3 degrees Celsius was recorded, for verification.

The IMD called the record “an outlier compared to other monitoring stations”, which recorded temperatures ranging from 45.2 degrees Celsius to 49.1 degrees Celsius in different parts of Delhi.

City authorities have warned that they will fine people found wasting water as the city grapples with water shortages and water supplies have been cut in some areas.

Water Minister Atish announced that 200 teams will be deployed to combat people washing cars with hoses and letting water tanks overflow.

Arunoday Mukharji, BBC business correspondent in Delhi, said: “The weather has been oppressively hot over the past few days and it has only gotten worse as the days have passed.”

Earlier this week, a resident told news agency ANI that even eating properly was difficult due to the hot weather.

“We had experienced high temperatures earlier, but this time it felt unbearable,” they said.

“It’s hard to even stand outside.”

The city’s electricity demand has surged to record highs, with residents turning to air conditioners, coolers and ceiling fans to cope with the hot weather.

A consumer court on Tuesday stopped hearing a case after a judge said it could not function without air conditioning.

A red alert has been issued in several parts of northwestern India, including Delhi, meaning the likelihood of people suffering from heat stroke and heatstroke is very high.

Dr Chandrakant Lahariya, a family doctor in Delhi, told BBC World Service that medical consultations increased during the heatwave.

He said the effects of the heat were more severe on older people with pre-existing conditions and “some of the poorest people and migrant workers who work on construction sites and elsewhere.”

The Lieutenant Governor of Delhi has ordered three hours of paid rest for construction site workers and asked for water to be provided to them.

He also requested that kettles with drinking water be provided at bus stops.

Kuldeep Srivastava, regional director of IMD, said the rising temperature in Delhi is due to hot winds coming from Rajasthan.

Elsewhere, temperatures have exceeded 50 degrees Celsius in Churu city in Rajasthan state and Sirsa city in northern Haryana state.

According to reports, Jaipur, Rajasthan three deaths Due to heatstroke on Tuesday.

According to local media reports, several students fainted due to the heat and were taken to hospital in the town of Sheikhpura in the eastern state of Bihar.

In the Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir region, efforts are continuing to put out a number of forest fires caused by high temperatures.

IMD chief Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said the maximum temperature in June may remain above normal.

Northwestern India is expected to experience four to six days of heat wave weather, he added.

Indian summer lasts from March to September and is usually hot and humid.

But the weather agency said the country is likely to experience longer and more intense heatwaves this year.

This month, Rajasthan and Gujarat experienced a heat wave lasting between 9 and 12 days, with temperatures ranging between 45 and 50 degrees Celsius.

Scientists say global warming is making India more likely to experience extreme heat waves.

In Delhi, the problem is exacerbated by a lack of buildings, transport and green space.

The extreme heat comes as coastal areas of eastern India and southern Bangladesh Hit by Cyclone Remar – Killed dozens of people.

Meanwhile, the IMD has also predicted that the country will have an above-average monsoon season this year.

The monsoon is expected to hit the southern coast of Kerala on May 31.