Hotter days ahead: IMD warns Delhi, neighbouring states of severe heatwave

India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an alert for severe heat in North India, including national capital territory Delhi and neighbouring states, for four days starting April 5. The IMD issued a yellow alert, with temperatures expected to soar to 42 degrees Celsius in the coming days.

Even on Friday (April 4), Delhiites faced higher than usual temperatures, with the maximum temperature rising to 38.4 degrees Celsius and the minimum settling at 18.8 degrees Celsius.

Several parts of Delhi are already feeling the heat, with The Ridge hitting 39.4°C, followed by Ayanagar at 38.1°C, Lodhi Road at 38°C, and Palam at 37°C.

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Mercury rises in Delhi’s neighbourhood

And it’s not just Delhi. Neighbouring regions like Haryana, western UP, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and western Madhya Pradesh are also bracing for extreme heat.

The heatwave isn’t stopping there. Maharashtra, UP, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana are also expected to face severe heat conditions. Even northern Karnataka and Tamil Nadu might get more heatwave days than usual.

According to the IMD, temperatures across central and northwest India are expected to rise by 2 to 4 degrees Celsius in the coming days — which means things are about to get even hotter.

Anticyclone over Arabian sea

According to Mahesh Palawat, vice president, climate and meteorology, Skymet Weather; hot winds are blowing towards Rajasthan and Gujarat from an anticyclone over the Arabian Sea.

“There is an anticyclone over Arabian sea. The wind from that anticyclone are blowing toward Rajasthan and Gujarat. These are very hot winds. Heat to severe heat wave can be expected over several parts of western India. Delhi-NCR will remain dry and also be impacted by these weather conditions. We can expect a heat wave over Delhi also. This is definitely very early. This time we recorded heat waves in March which is unusually early,” Palawat said.

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According to the IMD forecast, here’s how the warning levels look:

Red Alert for entire Gujarat on April 6 and 7 – This is the highest level. It means local authorities must take action to prevent heat-related emergencies.

Orange Alert for Rajasthan – This means authorities should be prepared to act quickly if the situation worsens.

Yellow Alert for several parts of northwest India, including Delhi – A heads-up for authorities to stay alert and monitor the rising temperatures.