New Delhi has endured its most scorching May and June in over seven decades, with record-breaking temperatures making this summer a historic milestone in meteorological records at Safdarjung station since 1951.
In June alone, the average maximum temperature soared to nearly 42°C, peaking at 41.95°C, surpassing the previous record of 41.9°C set in 2012. This marks only the eighth instance since 1951 that June temperatures have maintained above the 41°C threshold, underscoring the severity of this year’s heatwave. The unrelenting heatwave, exacerbated by global warming trends, has seen three of the hottest June temperatures recorded within the past 13 years, indicative of a troubling climate shift towards more extreme weather patterns. May 2024 was similarly scorching, ranking as the seventh hottest since 1951 with an average maximum temperature of 41.4°C. Notably, this year marked the first time in recorded history at Safdarjung that both May and June recorded average maximum temperatures exceeding 41°C simultaneously. The period also witnessed an unprecedented stretch of 40-degree-plus days spanning 40 consecutive days, a meteorological anomaly for the region. The cumulative impact of these extreme temperatures has rendered the entire summer season from April to June 2024 the third hottest on record since 1951, with an average mean maximum temperature of 40.1°C. This places it behind only 2010 (40.8°C) and 2022 (40.2°C), underscoring the intensifying heat trends in the capital.
In addition to the scorching heat, Delhiites faced extreme weather diversities, including a deluge on June 28 that marked the highest single-day rainfall in 28 years and the highest June rainfall in 88 years. These erratic weather patterns have posed significant challenges to urban resilience and infrastructure preparedness. Tragically, the severe weather conditions have claimed the lives of at least 187 individuals in Delhi, with a minimum of 176 fatalities attributed to heat-related illnesses, highlighting the urgent need for robust climate adaptation strategies and public health interventions in the face of escalating climate crises. The unprecedented climatic events of May and June 2024 serve as a stark reminder of the pressing need for comprehensive climate action and resilience-building efforts to mitigate the impacts of extreme weather on urban populations and infrastructure in Delhi.
