A fire broke out in a parking lot in Delhi’s Mandawali area, fire department officials revealed on Wednesday. As many as 17 cars were reportedly gutted by the flames, but the cause of the fire has yet to be determined. Anyhow, the blazing seems to be representational of the general condition in the national capital.
Scorching temperatures continue to grip northern and central India, with parts of Delhi recording highs close to 50°C on Wednesday morning. While the Safdarjung observatory recorded daytime temperatures of 45.8°C on , the areas in the outskirts, like Mungeshpur (49.9°C), Najafgarh (49.8°C), and Pitampura (48.5°C) were among the Delhi areas feeling the brunt of the heatwave.
The situation is even more severe in Rajasthan and Haryana, where Churu and Sirsa saw their thermometers explode past 50°C, reaching a scorching 50.5°C and 50.3°C respectively, according to data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
The IMD issues heatwave alerts if the maximum temperature of a station reaches at least 40°C or more for plains for two or more days, whereas a severe heatwave is declared when mercury breaches the 45°C mark. Consequently, heatwave to severe heat wave conditions have been forecast in most parts of Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh for today. These sweltering heat is expected to dissipate gradually over Northwest India starting tomorrow (May 30).
However, the damage is already being done. This brutal heatwave is straining power grids as people crank up air conditioners and coolers to try and beat the heat. Water shortages are also becoming a major concern. The Central Water Commission reports that water levels in 150 major reservoirs across India have plunged to a critical 24% of capacity. This worsens water shortages in many states and significantly impacts hydropower generation.
The relentless heat has also pushed India's power demand to a record high for this season, reaching 239.96 gigawatts. With homes and offices running air conditioners and coolers non-stop, it's no surprise that the demand for electricity has skyrocketed.
While the heatwave shows no signs of immediate abating, there's a glimmer of hope – the IMD predicts some relief might arrive after Thursday (May 30). A fresh western disturbance will begin to affect Northwest India starting tomorrow, brining up to scattered rainfall activity in the region until Sunday (June 2).
