Faridkot: A severe heatwave tightened its grip across Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh on Tuesday, pushing temperatures to dangerous levels and prompting the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to issue a four-day orange alert for the region.
Faridkot emerged as the hottest location in Punjab, recording a blistering 47.3 degrees Celsius, while Haryana’s Rohtak followed closely at 46.9 degrees Celsius. The mercury also crossed the 45-degree mark in several other cities, intensifying concerns over heat-related illnesses and power consumption.
In the national capital, Delhi recorded 45.1 degrees Celsius, nearly five degrees above normal, while Chandigarh registered 43.2 degrees Celsius, significantly above seasonal averages.
Across Haryana, scorching temperatures were reported in Sirsa at 46.4 degrees Celsius, Faridabad at 46 degrees Celsius, Hisar at 45.3 degrees Celsius, Jind at 45.2 degrees Celsius, and Narnaul at 45 degrees Celsius.
Punjab too witnessed widespread extreme heat, with Patiala touching 45.3 degrees Celsius, Ludhiana recording 44.2 degrees Celsius, and Amritsar logging 43.2 degrees Celsius.
The weather department has warned that the heatwave is likely to persist until May 25, with some severely affected pockets expected to witness temperatures climbing as high as 47 degrees Celsius over the next few days.
Meteorological experts attributed the intense conditions to strong westerly winds from Rajasthan and the formation of an anti-cyclonic circulation, which has blocked cooler weather systems from entering North India.
Officials have urged people to avoid stepping outdoors during peak afternoon hours, stay hydrated, and take precautions against heat exhaustion and heatstroke, especially children, senior citizens and those with health complications.
An orange alert signifies severe weather conditions and serves as a warning for residents to remain prepared for extreme heat exposure.
Meanwhile, while the plains continue to bake, relief is expected in some northern hill states. Light rainfall has been forecast over parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand during the coming week.
The soaring temperatures also triggered a historic spike in electricity demand nationwide. India recorded a new all-time peak power demand of 260.45 gigawatts at 3:40 pm on Tuesday, surpassing Monday’s previous record of 257.37 gigawatts, as cooling requirements surged across multiple states.
