India experienced its record-high temperature on Wednesday, reaching 52.3 degrees Celsius. At 2:30 pm, a Mungeshpur temperature monitoring station in Delhi reported this temperature reading.
The India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) regional chief, Kuldeep Srivastava, explained the reason for the rising temperature by stating that hot winds coming from Rajasthan initially affected the city’s outskirts.
“Parts of Delhi are particularly susceptible to the early arrival of these hot winds, worsening the already severe weather. Areas like Mungeshpur, Narela, and Najafgarh are the first to experience the full force of these hot winds,” he said.
On the second day of unprecedented heat, the temperature has exceeded nine degrees Celsius over average and rose above the 2002 record of 49.2 degrees Celsius.
Additionally, there was a brief downpour of rain in Delhi on Wednesday evening, which is expected to increase the humidity.
The IMD issued a red-alert health notice for Delhi, a state with an estimated population of more than 30 million people. The advisory states that “extreme care is needed for vulnerable people” and that there is a “very high likelihood of developing heat illness and heat stroke in all ages.”
As more and more people turned on their energy-intensive air conditioners during the heatwave, the nation’s capital recorded its all-time high power consumption of 8,302 megawatts (MW), according to electricity department officials.
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