Heatwave Crisis? 10 Hottest Indian Cities Which Broke Previous Records

New Delhi: Large parts of northern and central India have been gripped by a sweltering heat wave for the past few days. However, there was a sudden change in weather, with drizzle in some parts of the city on Wednesday evening. Experts predicted that the showers could increase the level of humidity in the national capital, as forecast shows no respite from heat wave conditions in the coming days.

Here is a list of hottest cities in the country which broke previous records;

As per the latest available data, Delhi recorded 52.9 degrees on Thursday evening, a data later dismissed by the weather department as 'error'. Delhi's primary weather station Safdarjung observatory recorded a maximum of 46.8 degrees Celsius.

Cities and towns across Haryana, Delhi, Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh sizzled at maximum temperatures in excess of 47 degrees Celsius with Rohtak and Prayagraj logging 48.8 degrees, the highest temperatures recorded in the country on Wednesday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

According to the IMD, both Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh broke records for the highest maximum temperature ever recorded for the month. Prayagraj had clocked a maximum of 48.4 degrees Celsius on May 30, 1994. While Rohtak's all-time high maximum was 47.2 degrees on June 6, 1995.

Apart from Rohtak, intense heat prevailed in several cities of Haryana with Hisar and Mahendragarh topping the chart. Hisar recorded a maximum temperature of 48.5 degrees Celsius, said IMD. Mahendragarh recorded a high of 48.3 degrees Celsius while Sirsa sweltered at 48.2 degrees. Extremely hot weather conditions also prevailed in Jhajjar and Faridabad, which recorded respective maximums of 48.4 degrees Celsius and 48 degrees Celsius. Ambala recorded a high of 44.3 degrees and Karnal 42.2 degrees.

Himachal Pradesh's Una logged a maximum temperature of 46 degrees Celsius, breaking the previous record of 45.2 degrees observed on May 24, 2013.

Karwar in coastal Karnataka also recorded a maximum temperature of 38 degrees, the hottest in May in the state. The previous record for 37.6 degrees was on May 5, 2022.

In Punjab, Bathinda was the hottest with a high of 48.5 degrees Celsius. The mercury reached 46.1 degrees Celsius in both Ludhiana and Pathankot. Faridkot recorded a high of 46 degrees Celsius, Amritsar 45.8 degrees, Patiala 45.7 degrees, and Gurdaspur 44.5 degrees.

Intense heat conditions also prevailed in Rajasthan despite the maximum temperatures falling by one to three degrees Celsius. Pilani town in Jhunjhunu district was recorded as the hottest place in the state with 48.2 degrees Celsius, followed by Churu, where the day temperature was 47.7 degrees Celsius.

Respite From Heatwave in Coming Days? 

The Indian Meteorological Department in its latest forecast said that that heat wave conditions are expected to persist for another three or four days in the state. For Thursday, the IMD predicted partly cloudy skies with heatwave conditions in a few places along with the possibility of thunderstorms and dust storms accompanied by very light rain and drizzling with gusty winds at speeds of 25 to 35 kmph in the northern India.