NEW DELHI: A heatwave is poised to grip the capital as temperatures are expected to rise sharply in the coming days, potentially crossing the 40°C mark, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned. A ‘yellow’ alert—signaling residents to remain cautious—has been issued for Monday through Wednesday.
According to IMD criteria, a heatwave is declared when the maximum temperature is at least 4.5°C above normal and reaches or exceeds 40°C. If the temperature hits 45°C or more, it is also classified as a heatwave. A “severe heatwave” occurs when the maximum temperature is 6.5°C or more above normal.
Delhi’s daytime temperatures are already on the rise. On Sunday, Safdarjung—the city’s base weather station—recorded a maximum of 38.2°C, which is three degrees above normal and up from 35.7°C the day before. The highest temperature was logged at the Ridge in north Delhi at 39.3°C, closely followed by Pitampura at 38.9°C.
The minimum temperature on Sunday stood at 18.5°C, two degrees below normal. IMD forecasts suggest daytime temperatures will hover between 40°C and 42°C on Monday and Tuesday, raising the likelihood of heatwave conditions.
“A rising temperature trend is expected, which may lead to heatwave conditions in the city,” said an IMD official.
Mahesh Palawat, Vice President of Meteorology at Skymet, added that light, warm south-easterly winds combined with clear skies will drive up temperatures over the next few days. However, he noted that some relief may arrive from April 10 due to cloud cover brought by an approaching western disturbance.
Though parts of Delhi have already breached the 40°C threshold this season, Safdarjung has yet to record a maximum above that mark in 2025.
IMD’s historical data indicates that heatwave conditions in Delhi typically occur between mid-April and early June. While April 2024 saw no heatwaves at Safdarjung, five were recorded in May. April 2023 also passed without heatwaves, but April 2022 witnessed nine such days.
Meanwhile, Delhi’s air quality took a hit over the weekend, slipping into the ‘poor’ category. The Air Quality Index (AQI) climbed to 209 on Sunday from 163 on Saturday. According to the Air Quality Early Warning System under the Union Ministry of Earth Sciences, air quality is expected to remain ‘poor’ until April 8, with possible improvement to ‘moderate’ on April 9.
