a record temperature of 52.3°C recorded in New Delhi, a record for the country

The Indian capital is suffocating. A temperature of 52.3°C was recorded on Wednesday, May 29, in the suburb of New Delhi (India), in Mungeshpur, where authorities warn of water shortages. This new national record thus beats more than 1°C the previous one, recorded in the Rajasthan desert by the country’s meteorological department, which reports “strong heat waves”. Note that a previous record was recorded on Tuesday at the same location, at 49.9°C.

Authorities in the city of some 30 million inhabitants issued a red health alert for Wednesday, where temperatures similar to the day before were reached. They warned against “very high probability of developing heat-related illnesses and heat stroke at all ages” and called to demonstrate “extreme vigilance” towards vulnerable people.

Heatwave in central and northwest India “should gradually fade away” from Thursday, according to Indian weather. In May 2022, 49.2°C was recorded in certain districts of the capital. Scorching temperatures are common in India during summer. But according to researchers, climate change is leading to longer, more frequent and more intense heat waves.