India issues heatwave warning, Delhi reaches 49 degrees

NEW DELHI — India’s meteorological department issued a red alert for several parts of the country’s northwest on Wednesday, warning of a severe heatwave, a day after parts of the capital Delhi recorded their highest ever temperature of nearly 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit).

According to the Indian Meteorological Department, a red alert implies a “very high probability” of people suffering from “heat illness or heat stroke” and requires “extreme caution” towards vulnerable people.

India has been battling unusually high temperatures this summer and the meteorological department said the conditions are expected to persist in several regions, including the capital, until Wednesday.

In India, a heat wave is declared when the maximum temperature in a region is 4.5 °C (8.1 °F) to 6.4 °C (11.5 °F) higher than normal, while a severe heat wave is declared when the maximum temperature is 6.5 °C (11.7 °F) or more above normal.

Local weather stations in Delhi’s Mungeshpur and Narela districts recorded a temperature of 49.9 degrees Celsius (121.8 Fahrenheit) on Tuesday – an all-time record for the city and 9 degrees Celsius (16.2 Fahrenheit) above normal.

Delhi’s local government also restricted water supplies because of the heat, saying the water level in the Yamuna river, the main source, was low.

The city’s water supply is not always uninterrupted, but the government said further restrictions would apply to parts of the city that receive water twice a day for a few hours.

“I appeal to all citizens, regardless of whether there is a water problem in your area or not, please use water very carefully,” local government water minister Atishi, who uses only one name, said on Tuesday.

Billions of people in Asia, including India’s neighbor Pakistan, have experienced a hotter summer this year – a trend that international scientists say has been exacerbated by man-made climate change.

Three more deaths were attributed to heat stroke in Jaipur, Rajasthan state, on Tuesday, local media reported, bringing the death toll in the city to four and in the state to at least 13.

Rising temperatures also prompted India’s election authorities to take extra precautions when Delhi held its national elections last week, including deploying paramedics at polling stations, which were also equipped with fog machines, shaded waiting areas and cold water dispensers.

The elections end on Saturday and the counting of votes is scheduled to take place on June 4.