New Delhi: India is reeling under an unprecedented and almost catastrophic heatwave.
Just how severe this summer is can be gauged from a temperature statistic. According to aqi.in, live temperature rankings at around 2.30 pm on Tuesday showed all 100 of the world’s hottest distinct urban locations were concentrated entirely within India.
As many as seven cities across India shattered records by crossing a blistering 48°C.
In the nation’s Capital city, temperatures soared to 45.1 degrees Celsius across all major weather stations, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) at 5.30 pm.
It made Tuesday as the hottest May day recorded in Delhi in the last two years.
The Ridge station recorded the highest maximum temperature at 46.5°C, making it the hottest location in Delhi during the day. Safdarjung and Palam registered 45.1°C, while Lodhi Road recorded 45.2°C and Ayanagar touched 45.5°C.
More worryingly, the IMD has issued urgent advisories stating that severe heatwave conditions are expected to persist over the coming days.
According to the IMD, a persistent lack of cloud cover and relentless dry solar radiation will keep large parts of the northern plains and central India under extreme stress.
Weather forecasters say these brutal conditions are likely to continue in parts of west Uttar Pradesh through May 24.
Simultaneously, the IMD has flagged severe thunderstorm and heavy rainfall alerts for parts of northeast and south India.
