Brutal Heatwave Grips Delhi, Rajasthan: IMD Red Alert!

A severe heatwave is affecting Delhi, Rajasthan, and other states, prompting the IMD to issue a 'red' alert. Here are the 10 hottest cities in India.

The IMD has issued a 'red' alert for severe heatwave conditions in Delhi, Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab, and Madhya Pradesh on May 29th.

The scorching heatwave conditions persist in various parts of the country, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issuing a 'red' alert for Rajasthan, Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, and Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday. The IMD has forecasted a maximum temperature of 46 degrees Celsius in Delhi.

An 'orange' alert has also been issued for severe heatwave conditions in Uttar Pradesh.

"Heatwave to severe heatwave conditions are very likely in many or most parts of Rajasthan; in some or many parts of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi; in isolated parts of West Uttar Pradesh, West Madhya Pradesh during May 27th-29th and gradual reduction thereafter," stated the IMD in its bulletin.

According to the weather department, heat wave conditions are very likely in isolated pockets of east Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha, and Jammu division until May 29th and in isolated pockets of Himachal Pradesh, East Uttar Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh until May 30th.

On Tuesday, Rajasthan's Churu recorded the highest temperature in the country at 50.5 degrees Celsius.

Top 10 warmest cities in India on Tuesday:
Churu, Rajasthan: 50.5°C

Sirsa, Haryana: 50.3°C

Mungeshpur, Delhi: 49.9°C

Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh: 49.0°C

Prithvipur (Niwari), Madhya Pradesh: 48.5°C

Daltonganj, Jharkhand: 47.5°C

Bhatinda, Punjab: 47.2°C

Dehri, Bihar: 47.0°C

Mungeli, Chhattisgarh: 47.0°C

Boudh, Odisha: 45.9°C

According to IMD director-general Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, the heatwave conditions over northwest and central India are due to the absence of western disturbances. However, he said that a fresh western disturbance was expected over parts of northwest India this week, following which there may be relief from the heatwave conditions after May 30.

IMD's rainfall prediction
The IMD has also issued a 'red' alert for heavy to very heavy rainfall in the northeastern states on Wednesday, May 29th, in view of Cyclone 'Remal'. According to the weather department, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura are likely to receive heavy to very heavy rainfall of around 115.5 to 204.4 mm on May 29th. Assam, Meghalaya, and Arunachal Pradesh are expected to witness heavy to very heavy rainfall from May 29th to June 1st.

Meanwhile, isolated heavy rainfall is very likely over Kerala, Mahe, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands until May 31st, and over Lakshadweep on May 29th.

The IMD added that isolated to scattered light rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds is very likely over Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit Baltistan, Muzzaffarabad, and Himachal Pradesh until May 31st.