Extreme heatwave in northwest India, temperatures will exceed 42°C

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a severe heatwave warning for the northwest of the country, including the capital New Delhi, where temperatures are expected to exceed 42 degrees Celsius in the coming days, according to the EFE agency.

• Affected regions and critical interval

"Severe heatwave conditions will continue in western Rajasthan, as well as in Gujarat, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Punjab, eastern Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, for the next four days," said IMD researcher Akhil Srivastava.

The warning targets the most exposed areas in the northern and northwestern plains of India, where temperatures will reach dangerous levels for health. According to the IMD daily report, March 2025 was the 11th hottest month in India's meteorological records (since 1901), with an average maximum temperature of 32.7°C, more than a degree Celsius above the historical average.

• Summer 2025 - high risk of heatwaves

Meteorologists warn that this summer will be hotter than the multi-year average, with an increased number of hot days and above-normal maximum and minimum temperatures, especially between April and June. The most exposed regions include north, east and north-west India, where the combination of extreme temperatures and humidity can have a severe impact on the population and infrastructure. The current warning is reminiscent of the extreme heatwaves of 2024, when temperatures reached 47°C in New Delhi and 50°C in other parts of the north of the country, causing dozens of heat-related deaths and prompting authorities to close schools.

• National emergency petition

Faced with the gravity of the situation, the Rajasthan High Court has asked the central government to declare the heatwaves a "national emergency" given the growing public health impact of the extreme heat.