- Monday, April 07, 2025
By: Vibhuti Pathak
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has sounded a yellow alert in Delhi, warning of a heatwave that is expected to persist until April 9. According to the latest seven-day forecast, the national capital and several parts of northwest India are likely to witness a rise in maximum temperatures by 2 to 4 degrees Celsius over the next four days, followed by a slight dip of 2 to 3 degrees Celsius thereafter.
The weather agency stated, “Rise in maximum temperatures by 2 to 4 degrees Celsius during the next four days and fall by 2 to 3 degrees Celsius, thereafter over many parts of northwest India.”
On Sunday (6), Delhi’s Safdarjung Observatory, which provides representative weather data for the city, recorded a maximum temperature of 38.2 degrees Celsius — about three degrees above normal — while the minimum temperature dipped to 18.5 degrees Celsius, two notches below the seasonal average.
In the coming days, the mercury is expected to hover between 40 and 42 degrees Celsius till Tuesday, with a slight decline to 39 to 41 degrees Celsius by Wednesday (9). Meanwhile, minimum temperatures are predicted to gradually rise and remain in the range of 20 to 24 degrees Celsius.
Heat Wave Forecast for Delhi
Heat Wave Conditions over Delhi at some places today (07.04.2025).#imd #india #WeatherUpdate #heatwave #Delhiheatwave @moesgoi @ndmaindia @DDNational @airnewsalerts pic.twitter.com/yDBnCyIgzf
— India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) April 7, 2025
The IMD’s colour-coded weather warning system categorizes alerts into four levels: green, yellow, orange, and red. A yellow alert implies that the heat is tolerable for the general public but can cause moderate health concerns for vulnerable populations such as infants, the elderly, and those with chronic illnesses.
To stay safe, the IMD advises people to avoid direct heat exposure, wear lightweight, loose, and light-coloured cotton clothing, and cover the head with a cloth, hat, or umbrella.
The Met Office’s seasonal outlook from April to June had already predicted a rain deficit in Delhi, along with an above-average number of heatwave days. The hot and dry spell is not limited to the capital. “A majority of the northern plain areas, including those in Rajasthan, Haryana, Chandigarh, and Punjab, are expected to reel under a heatwave for the next four to five days,” said the IMD.
For a day to be classified as a heatwave in the plains, at least two weather stations must record a maximum temperature of 40°C or above, with a deviation of 4.5 to 6.4°C from the normal, for two consecutive days. Over recent days, multiple areas in Gujarat and Rajasthan have reported such conditions, while regions across Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, and Uttar Pradesh have seen temperatures above the seasonal norm.
The highest temperature in northwest India on Sunday was noted in Barmer, Rajasthan, at a scorching 43.6 degrees Celsius. The IMD bulletin also mentioned, “A fresh western disturbance is likely to affect the Western Himalayan region from April 8.” Over the past 24 hours, Delhi experienced mostly clear skies and west-northwesterly winds with gusts up to 18 kmph. “The maximum temperature had no large change over Northwest India — appreciably above normal in Uttarakhand, Haryana, east UP, and east Rajasthan and normal over the rest of Northwest India,” added the bulletin.
