Severe heatwave grips North India; Mercury breaches 50 degrees mark

New Delhi: Large parts of northern and central India are currently reeling under severe heatwave conditions with the mercury crossing 50 degrees in many parts of North West Indian.
In Rajasthan’s Churu, Haryana’s Sirsa the temperature has breached 50 degrees marks, making it the seasonal highest maximum temperature so far.

At least three weather stations in Delhi recorded maximum temperatures of 49 degrees Celsius or more. Mungeshpur and Narela in Delhi clocked 49.9 degrees followed by Najafgarh at 49.8 degrees Celsius.
This was the highest maximum temperature recorded in the capital this season so far.

The weather agency has issued a ‘red alert’ for sustained heatwave conditions across several states in north India, including Delhi.

The Met Office forecasts that extreme heatwave conditions will persist in Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh until May 29, with a gradual decrease likely thereafter.

The IMD said respite from the heatwave conditions could be in sight after May 30.

It said that a fresh western disturbance was expected over parts of northwest India on Thursday which could bring isolated rainfall over the region on the weekend.

IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra has attributed the heatwave conditions over northwest and central India to the absence of western disturbances during the latter half of May.

Western disturbances are extra-tropical weather systems formed over the Mediterranean Sea that move from the west to the east.