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Delhi NCR, it’s (more than past) time for the scorch. A biblical why-did-I-leave-the-house one. The IMD has issued a formal heatwave warning for Thursday, and here's what you need to know.
The India Meteorological Department's official bulletins for this week aren’t exactly full of good news. Ridge station in North Delhi hit 40.2°C on Tuesday. Lodi Road clocked 39°C. Even the relatively ‘cool’ Mayur Vihar managed a sweaty 36.7°C. The official weather department’s hot take extends for a good week.
What to know about the heatwave on Thursday, April 23
The IMD has issued a formal heatwave warning for April 23, a yellow alert covering every single district of Delhi and the entire NCR belt, with temperatures forecast to hit 42-44°C. That's nearly 6°C above what's considered normal for late April.
Yes, there's some cloud cover coming from Saturday, but temperatures are expected to stay between 41-44°C right through to next Tuesday, April 28. And while it’s tempting to complain about classic Delhi weather, it’s really not just us.
Here’s how the IMD bulletin’s heatwave outlook runs across India
April 21-22: Heatwave at isolated places across Bihar, East UP, Gangetic West Bengal, Haryana, Delhi and Punjab.
April 23-24: Conditions expected to spread further. Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh all get added to the list.
April 25: Still going strong across Chhattisgarh, MP, Odisha, Rajasthan, UP and Vidarbha.
April 26: Possibly, temperatures will begin to ease, with the IMD only mentioning heatwave conditions in Vidarbha for this date. Warm regards, I suppose.
What classifies as a heatwave?
A quick note on terminology: when the IMD says ‘heatwave,’ it has a specific meaning – temperatures need to hit at least 4.5°C above the seasonal normal of 37.7°C, which puts the bar at around 42.2°C for Delhi in late April. The formal heatwave warning only covers Thursday, April 23. After that, while you still should be hydrated and careful, the heat only technically doesn’t meet the IMD's official heatwave threshold. Hot by any other name, basically.