An intense heatwave sweeping through Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab over the last week has spurred an India Meteorological Department (IMD) red alert for these states. Temperatures are soaring above 46 degrees across north India, including in Uttarakhand, Bihar and Jharkhand. In Bihar, 22 people have died due to severe heat and humidity in the last 24 hours.
Delhi “feels-like” 50 degrees Celsius
In the national capital, the maximum temperature is likely to settle at around 45 degree Celsius, over 6 degrees higher than the normal temperature for June. According to the weather office, the heat index, or the feels-like temperature in Delhi surged to 50 degrees Celsius on Monday.
A Delhi to West Bengal IndiGo flight was delayed by over three hours on Monday due to a technical snag which resulted from high ground temperatures. While the national capital expects slight relief from Wednesday due to scattered rains and dust storms, a long-term reprieve is unlikely for now.
Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh) recorded the Highest Maximum Temperature of 47.6°C over the country on 17th June 2024.#maximumtemperature#prayagraj#uttarpradesh#heatwave@moesgoi@ndmaindia@DDNational@airnewsalerts@RailMinIndia@DDNewslive@NHAI_Officialpic.twitter.com/zvPeqBRvT6
— India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) June 17, 2024
Temperatures rise across Uttarakhand, J&K
In Uttarakhand, most-visited Dehradun recorded a maximum temperature of 43.1 degrees Celsius while Mussorie sizzled at 43 degrees Celsius. Even hill towns like Pauri and Nainital are experiencing a heatwave with little to no rainfall in three months.
Hill state Himachal Pradesh is blazing at 44 degrees — 6.7 degrees above average. In Jammu and Kashmir, Katra recorded a maximum temperature of 40.8 degrees Celsius, while the mercury touched 44.3 degrees in Jammu.
Today, Heatwave to severe heat wave conditions prevailed in most parts of Punjab & Haryana-Chandigarh-Delhi and Uttar Pradesh; in some parts of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, Bihar, north Madhya Pradesh; at isolated pockets over Odisha. pic.twitter.com/rvsxopk69x
— India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) June 17, 2024
Respite from heatwave soon?
Former IMD Director General, KJ Ramesh told NDTV that respite from the sweeping heatwave was expected this week but a shift in winds through the Arabian Sea has delayed the cooling down of the plains.
"Another reason is that the monsoon is stagnant over West Bengal since June 1. As long as monsoon does not cover these areas, north India will remain under a continuous heatwave," he said.
Mr Saxena, however, added that Delhi might experience some "intermittent relief" due to duststorms and scattered showers but they can only provide relief "for a few hours or half a day".
After Wednesday, fresh western disturbance will approach northwest India, also affecting Delhi and bringing relief from the intense heat, according to the weather office.
"Real abatement of heat will occur only once monsoon arrives," he said, adding that it will take more than 12 days for monsoon to reach Delhi.
"After June 27, most areas of Uttar Pradesh will get relief followed by western UP, Delhi, Haryana and Punjab," he said.