Delhi Joins Club Of 45 Degree: Records Hottest Day And Highest Temperature Of Season, Further Rise likely
Key Takeaways:
- Delhi recorded its first heat wave day of May 2026 on 19 May.
- Safdarjung touched 45.1°C, while Mungeshpur and Ridge crossed 46°C.
- Heat wave conditions are likely to continue across Delhi/NCR this week.
- Slight cloud development and isolated thunder activity are possible on 22-23 May.
Delhi has joined the 45°C club and has recorded the highest temperature of this season so far. The base station at Safdarjung registered a daytime high of 45.1°C, nearly 4.7°C above normal. With this, the national capital has met both the thresholds required for heat wave conditions. Also, 19 May has gone on record as the first heat wave day of May 2026 for Delhi. A few other observatories, including Mungeshpur and Ridge, crossed the 46°C mark. Heat wave conditions are likely to persist over Delhi/NCR throughout this week.
A western disturbance is marked over North Pakistan and Jammu & Kashmir as an upper-air cyclonic circulation. Another circulation is lying over Punjab and adjoining border areas of Pakistan. Yet another circulation is marked over the foothills of West Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. The trough joining these two systems is running well north of Delhi, keeping a safe distance from the region. These features are expected to persist for the next three days. However, the trough is likely to shift slightly southward and move a little closer to Delhi on 22 and 23 May 2026.
Delhi is expected to retain temperatures around 45°C for the next three days, and the mercury may even rise marginally to touch the notional 46°C mark. Courtesy the east-west trough, some cloud development is likely on 22 and 23 May, with a slight possibility of distant thundercloud activity during late evening hours. Otherwise, heat wave conditions are expected to continue through the week without any major relief. The scorching spell may even spill over into the next week. Notably, Delhi has breached the 45°C mark almost every alternate year, including 2018, 2020, 2022 and 2024. The highest temperature recorded in the last 15 years remains 46.8°C, observed in May 2024.
