So, Delhi is already sweating it out with the first heatwave of 2025 making an entrance as early as April 7—seems like the capital’s notorious summer is in a hurry. Temperatures shot up to a scorching 40.2°C at Safdarjung, which, for April, is not just early but one of the quickest spikes in over a decade.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) isn’t taking this lightly and has issued a yellow alert for Delhi-NCR, which stands as a signal to belt up until April 9. We're looking at possibly crossing the 42°C mark by April 17. Yep, heatwave conditions are likely to make a comeback from mid-April, so brace yourself for more sun-soaked days.
Heatwave Alerts Across States
It’s not just Delhi feeling the heat; other states across northwest and central India are on the radar. Rajasthan has graduated to a red alert with cities like Phalodi and Barmer reporting freakishly high temperatures, 43.6°C and 45.6°C, respectively. And if you thought Gujarat was any cooler, think again—the Saurashtra-Kutch region is under an orange alert, recording over 44°C in places like Kutch.
Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha are bracing themselves, predicted to have about 10–11 heatwave days this season. That’s like a whole cricket series of sizzling weather conditions right there.
Thick Air and Health Warnings
With heat comes the not-so-pleasant air quality problems. Delhi’s air quality rolled downhill to a ‘poor’ rating, with an AQI number of 261. All this heat and pollution isn’t a great cocktail for health, so the IMD is waving an advisory. Keep cool, stay hydrated, and limit your sun exposure, especially during the hottest parts of the day. Vulnerable groups and our agri friends need to be extra cautious.
Farmers have been advised to ensure their crops and cattle are shielded from these scorching temperatures. It’s early heat like this that echoes the torrid patterns seen in the summers of 2021 and 2022. Looks like a heated summer is ahead with the IMD foreseeing more of these above-normal temperatures from now till June. Better prep ourselves for a seriously warm season.
