The national capital on Monday recorded the highest temperature of this season till now at 40.2 degrees Celsius, with the weather department issuing a yellow alert for heat wave for the upcoming days. Meanwhile, the minimum temperature went down to 20.2 degrees Celsius.
A yellow alert has been sounded in Delhi by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) as it forecasts a heat wave in the city till Wednesday (April 9), which means that the heat is tolerable for the general public but can cause moderate health concerns for infants, the elderly, and people with chronic diseases.
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The MeT Department has forecast heat wave conditions in parts of the capital from Monday to Wednesday. Maximum temperatures are expected to reach between 40 and 42 degrees Celsius.
The Weather Department has said northern and central states—including Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Gujarat—can expect maximum temperatures to cross the same as those of Delhi.
Northern India usually sees heat waves between April and June, but in recent years, global warming and climate change have caused extreme temperatures to arrive earlier and last longer.
People have been advised to avoid heat exposure, wear lightweight and breathable cotton clothing, and cover their heads with a cloth or umbrella outdoors.
Heat waves usually start occurring in northern India from the end of April, but we are seeing that their occurrence has recently been exacerbated by climate change, the weather department said.
Furthermore, in its seven-day forecast, the IMD said, “Rise in maximum temperatures by 2 to 4 degrees Celsius during the next four days and fall by 2 to 3 degrees Celsius, thereafter over many parts of northwest India.”
