Delhi's summer is breaking records, with the city recording its warmest May night in 14 years. The minimum temperature in Safdarjung, Delhi's base weather station, reached 31.9 degrees Celsius, five degrees above normal. The maximum temperature stood at 43.6°C, with several parts of the city recording even higher temperatures.
Residents and tourists are seeking relief at cooling shelters set up across the city, equipped with air coolers, fans, drinking water, and oral rehydration solutions. However, the rising temperatures are also beginning to reflect in hospitals, with Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital reporting its first two heatstroke cases of the season.
The extreme heat has also pushed Delhi's electricity demand close to record levels, with a peak power demand of 8,231 megawatts recorded on Thursday. The power distribution companies said the supply remained stable despite the sharp rise in consumption.
Nationally, India recorded its fourth straight day of record peak power demand this week as heatwave conditions intensified across several states. The Delhi Fire Services received nearly one fire-related call every seven minutes this week, with at least four major fires reported on Thursday alone.
