The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has sounded an alert for heatwave conditions across the National Capital Region and several north Indian states for the upcoming week, with temperatures forecast to soar to as high as 42 degrees Celsius in Delhi by 7 and 8 April.
According to IMD’s regional centre in New Delhi, heatwave conditions are expected to prevail in the national capital between 5 and 8 April, with strong surface winds also predicted for Saturday. Isolated areas of Delhi may experience heightened daytime heat, although warm nights are not anticipated during this period.
Delhi registered a maximum temperature of 38.4°C on Friday—4.4 degrees above the season’s average—and a minimum of 18.8°C, as per the MeT department.
Forecast for the week
On Saturday, the maximum temperature is likely to hover between 38°C and 40°C, while the minimum is expected to remain between 18°C and 20°C. The heat is forecast to intensify through the week, reaching a maximum of 42°C on 7 and 8 April, with minimums between 20°C and 23°C.
Also read: IMD warns of unprecedented heat in April-May
From 9 April, a marginal drop in temperatures is anticipated, with highs between 39°C and 41°C.
States on heatwave watch
Apart from Delhi, heatwave warnings have been issued for several regions. Isolated pockets of Saurashtra, Kutch, south Haryana, and western Uttar Pradesh are expected to witness similar conditions between 5 and 9 April. Himachal Pradesh may experience brief spells of heatwave from 5 to 7 April.
Punjab and the Gujarat region are also likely to endure heatwave conditions between 6 and 9 April, while western Rajasthan could continue to face high temperatures through to 10 April. Eastern Rajasthan and western Madhya Pradesh have been placed under alert from 6 and 7 April respectively.
The IMD has further projected above-normal temperatures for the April–June quarter across India, with a significant rise in the number of heatwave days anticipated, particularly in central, eastern, and northwestern parts of the country.
States such as Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and the northern districts of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are expected to bear the brunt of the heat.
Eastern Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh may experience up to 11 heatwave days over the three-month period.
India experienced one of its most intense summers last year, with 536 recorded heatwave days—the highest figure in 14 years. The year 2024 was the warmest on record, both for India and globally.
Amidst the northern heat, southern and northeastern regions of India may see respite through isolated rainfall and thunderstorms.
Light to moderate rain, accompanied by gusty winds reaching 40–50 km/h, is likely over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karaikal on Saturday. The districts of Nilgiris, Coimbatore, Theni, Dindigul, Salem, and Tiruppur could witness heavy downpours.
Rain is also likely in parts of South Peninsular India, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Odisha, and Northeast India between 5 and 6 April, with isolated hailstorms predicted for Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura.
The IMD has forecast persistent rainfall activity in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karaikal until 10 April.
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