New Delhi | Dry scorching winds and relentless heat turned Delhi into a furnace on Monday as the maximum temperatures breached the 44 degrees Celsius mark in parts of the national capital, with the city staring at an extended spell of punishing heat in the upcoming week.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Delhi’s base station at Safdarjung logged a maximum temperature of 43.4 degrees Celsius, 3 degrees above normal, while the minimum settled at 26.3 degrees Celsius.

Though no heatwave conditions were officially recorded in the city, Delhi witnessed its hottest May day since 2024 on Monday. The last time the national capital recorded a higher temperature in May was on May 17 in 2024, when the mercury stood at 43.6 degrees Celsius.

Among the other stations, Ridge was the hottest at 44.6 degrees Celsius, 3.1 degrees above normal, followed by Ayanagar at 44.4 degrees Celsius, 2.3 degrees above normal, Lodhi Road at 43.8 degrees Celsius, 4.8 notches above normal, and Palam at 43.5 degrees Celsius, 2.2 degrees above normal.

The minimum temperature hovered around 26 degrees Celsius at most stations, largely in tune with the normal for this time of the year.

“Lodhi Road reported a maximum temperature 4.8 degrees Celsius above normal. Since this is day one, and only one station reported temperature above normal by 4.8 degrees Celsius, as per the criteria, heatwave conditions were not declared for today,” IMD officials said.

The IMD has forecast heatwave conditions across northwest and central India, with Delhi expected to witness temperatures between 43 and 45 degrees Celsius during May 18-20.

According to the weather office, a heatwave is observed when the maximum temperature crosses 40 degrees Celsius and remains 4.5 to 6.4 degrees above normal for a prolonged period.

For Tuesday, the IMD has forecast heatwave conditions in Delhi with the city under a yellow alert, advising residents to “be updated”.

The minimum temperature is expected to settle around 28 degrees Celsius, while the maximum may remain around 44 degrees Celsius.

Even though the city has not officially recorded any heatwave days this month, the IMD has issued a heatwave warning till May 24 for isolated parts of Delhi, along with a yellow alert till May 22.

“The northwesterly winds are sweeping into the national capital from the Thar Desert region of Rajasthan and parts of central Pakistan. Travelling across vast arid stretches, these winds turn intensely dry by the time they reach Delhi, trapping heat close to the surface and sharply intensifying the searing conditions across the city,” Mahesh Palawat of private forecaster Skymet Weather said.

Palawat also said that night temperatures have remained high over the past few days due to intense daytime heating.

“The ground does not get sufficient time to release the accumulated heat, leading to persistently warm nights. There is no forecast of thunderstorms or pre-monsoon rainfall activity for the next 10 days, which is further worsening the situation. These dry northwesterly winds are also preventing any significant cooling and are trapping large amounts of heat,” he said.

Palawat added that the prevailing conditions are likely to persist over the coming days, pushing several parts of Delhi-NCR into heatwave conditions.

“Residents need to remain cautious as the prolonged dry spell and soaring temperatures can significantly increase the risk of heat-related illnesses and sunstroke,” he said.

Vishwas Chitale, Fellow at the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), said, “The prevailing situation reflects the growing heat risk in the national capital. According to CEEW’s district-level heat risk assessment, more than half of the districts in Delhi fall under very high risk to extreme heat.”

Chitale added that rising warm nights are particularly concerning because they reduce the body’s ability to recover from daytime heat stress.

Delhi’s air quality, meanwhile, remained “moderate” on Monday with an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 173, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data showed.

The CPCB classifies an AQI between zero and 50 as “good”, 51 and 100 “satisfactory”, 101 and 200 “moderate”, 201 and 300 “poor”, 301 and 400 “very poor”, and 401 and 500 “severe”.