Similar heat spikes are expected on Wednesday, when forecasters expected temperatures nine degrees below. The heat wave in central and northwest India “is expected to gradually ease” from Thursday, according to the Indian Meteorological Services.
In May 2022, 49.2°C was recorded in certain districts of the capital, Indian media reported that year. Scorching temperatures are common in India during summer, but researchers say climate change is leading to longer, more frequent and more intense heat waves.
New Delhi authorities have warned of a risk of water shortages. Supply cuts have already occurred in some places. Water Minister Atishi Marlena called for the “collective responsibility” of residents to put an end to waste, the Times of India newspaper reported on Wednesday.
“Rationed water”
“To solve the problem of water shortage, we have taken a series of measures such as reducing water supply from twice a day to once a day in many areas,” Ms. Atishi said, according to the Indian Express. “The water thus saved will be rationed and distributed to areas (facing) water shortage and where the supply lasts only 15 to 20 minutes per day,” she added.
The flow of the Yamuna River, a heavily polluted tributary of the Ganges that flows through New Delhi, is greatly reduced during the hottest months of the year. And the Indian capital depends almost entirely on the neighboring agricultural states of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, whose water needs are significant.
The Indian Meteorological Department also warned of the health consequences of the heat, particularly among infants, the elderly and those with chronic illnesses. It was in the state of Rajasthan that the highest temperatures were recorded on Tuesday, due to scorching winds, at 50.5°C.
The desert region around the town of Phalodi, in the same state in northwestern India, experienced a historic record of 51°C in 2016. Neighboring Pakistan also suffered severe heat waves, with a peak temperature estimated on Sunday at 53°C in Sindh, a border province with India.
Pakistan’s weather bureau said it expected temperatures to drop starting Wednesday, but warned of more heatwaves in June.
Meanwhile, the northeastern states of West Bengal and Mizoram were hit by strong winds and torrential rains accompanying powerful cyclone Remal, which devastated India and Bangladesh on Sunday. , leaving more than 65 dead.