Heatwave grips large parts of India as temperatures soar past 40°C, alerts remain in place

Large parts of northern, central and western India continue to battle intense heat, with temperatures crossing 40 degrees Celsius in several states and authorities taking measures to reduce disruptions to daily life.

Although parts of Delhi received rainfall on Saturday morning, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has retained its heatwave warning for the capital until May 28.

The weather department said heatwave conditions are expected to persist over the coming days, with severe conditions already reported in parts of Uttar Pradesh and the Vidarbha region. Areas across Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Odisha and coastal Andhra Pradesh are also experiencing extreme temperatures.

The IMD has issued an Orange alert for Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and coastal Andhra Pradesh, while a Red alert remains in place for southern Uttar Pradesh, Vidarbha and north coastal Andhra Pradesh.

In Punjab, the government announced revised schedules for schools and offices to limit exposure during peak afternoon hours. Bhagwant Mann said all government offices and public and private schools would function from 7:30 am to 1:30 pm from May 25 onward.

Despite brief rain relief in Delhi, temperatures remain extremely high. The Ridge weather station officially recorded heatwave conditions after the mercury touched 45.3°C on Friday. Other areas also saw intense heat, including Ayanagar at 44.5°C, Lodhi Road and Palam at 44.3°C, and Safdarjung at 43.6°C.

The IMD has forecast temperatures between 44°C and 46°C in Delhi over the coming days.

Southern Uttar Pradesh remains among the hardest-hit regions. Eastern parts of the state are under a severe heatwave warning until May 28, while Banda district recorded a blistering 46.4°C.

Conditions also remain difficult in Gujarat and Uttarakhand. Gujarat’s major cities continue recording temperatures between 42°C and 43°C, prompting health officials to issue advisories. In Rajkot, local health officials urged people to avoid unnecessary outdoor activity during afternoon hours.

In Uttarakhand, authorities described weather in plains districts such as Dehradun and Haridwar as “heatwave-like,” with temperatures ranging from 40°C to 42°C.

Some relief was reported in hill regions, however. Shimla and nearby districts witnessed a temperature drop of around 6–8°C over the past day due to a western disturbance.

IMD scientist Sandeep Kumar Sharma said rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms is expected in parts of Chamba, Kangra and Kullu.