Dozens of cities across India recorded smoking temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius a few days before its summer peak this week, prompting unusually early heatwave alerts in several states.
On Tuesday, 27 weather stations in the western part of the country recorded temperatures above 43C, with at least 19 locations recording serious heat waves, according to the Indian Weather Bureau (IMD).
Delhi recorded a temperature of 41C at Safdarjung, while Rajasthan’s Barmer hit the country’s highest temperature of 46.4C. Earlier on Sunday, Bermer scored a 45C. 45C was the highest in the first week of April, surpassing nearly 7c.
Severe heat waves are defined as temperatures above 45C at at least two weather stations in a particular area.
IMD previously warned that heatwave conditions will continue in parts of northern, eastern, central and western India, including Delhi, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Odisha.
Yellow alerts are in place in several parts of western India. It means that fever can withstand the general public, but it can raise mild health concerns for infants, elderly people and people with chronic illnesses.
Officials advised people to avoid exposure to heat, wear lightweight, breathable cotton clothing and cover their heads with cloth or outdoors.
India’s heatwave season begins in April, but temperatures are usually a few degrees lower this year. However, in recent years, heat waves have already begun in February.
An unusually early surge is associated with slow winds and clear sky in the sky, allowing more solar radiation to heat the surface.
“In the coming days, we will see wind speeds slowing down to clear skies, which will naturally lead to temperature rises,” Mahesh Palawat, vice president of meteorology and climate change at private forecaster Skymet, told the BBC.
Last month, IMD’s chief Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said that most parts of India will experience a severe heat wave this summer.
States such as Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Odisha warned that they could see heatwave days of 10-11 people.
Additionally, the early heat waves pose risks to the country’s wheat crops for the third year in a row.
Last year, when India saw the hottest day at 50.5c in Rajasthan, there were over 40,000 cases of heat stroke.
One weather station in Delhi recorded a high of 52.9c last May, but the government later said this was due to a sensor error and corrected it by 3c.
Government data shows that nearly 150 people died in the 2024 heat wave, but independent researchers said the tolls were much higher.
