NEW DELHI, MAY 18 – A severe and prolonged heatwave has tightened its grip across North India, prompting the India Meteorological Department to issue a comprehensive weather warning spanning multiple states until May 23.
The regional climate system is generating extreme surface temperatures across the plains of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh. Meteorological data shows maximum temperatures consistently settling three to five degrees Celsius above seasonal normals, with urban centers bracing for peak readings between 43 and 45 degrees Celsius.
“Heat wave to severe heat wave conditions are likely to prevail over plains of northwest India and central India during many days of the week,” the India Meteorological Department stated in an official briefing.
Forecasters noted that regional temperatures will likely escalate by an additional three to five degrees over the next 48 hours before stabilizing. The extreme weather pattern has prompted the Union Ministry of Ayush to distribute public health guidelines, advising citizens to avoid outdoor exposure during peak afternoon hours and monitor vulnerable groups, including children and the elderly.
