Delhi recorded warmest May night in fourteen years amid intensifying prolonged heatwave conditions.
IMD forecasts heatwave continuation across Delhi for next seven days under orange alert.
Authorities advised residents avoiding heat exposure while staying hydrated during extreme temperatures.
Delhi is already sweltering under intense heat with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicting that the temperature in Delhi may touch 44 degrees Celsius on May 22, with the minimum temperature expected to settle at 32 degrees Celsius. The met office also issued an orange alert for the city.
Citing an IMD official, PTI reported that the heatwave conditions are expected to continue for the next one week. The IMD said that heatwave conditions are likely to continue over Delhi during the next seven days due to the prevalence of lower tropospheric dry northwesterly winds and the absence of any western disturbance affecting the plains of northwest India, reported PTI.
1 May 2026
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Delhi Records Warmest Night
On May 21, Delhi recorded its warmest night in May in 14 years with the minimum temperature settling at 31.9 degrees Celsius.
According to reports, IMD data stated that the previous warmest night in May was recorded on May 27, 2012 with the minimum temperature recorded as 34.2 degrees Celsius.
On May 21, the maximum temperature recorded in the city was 43.6 degrees Celsius, which was 3.4 degrees above normal.
According to the US National Library of Medicine (US NLM), heat stress is rapidly increasing across India, with the northwest and Indo-Gangetic regions experiencing a sharp increase in heatwave days and humid coastal regions experiencing growing night time heat stress. The study noted that prolonged spells of extreme heat and humidity could lead to a significant rise in health risks, particularly for vulnerable populations, underscoring the importance of strengthening heat-action and public health measures.
What Orange Alert Means
So far, the heatwave conditions have persisted in the city for the fourth consecutive day triggering an orange alert, with the IMD advising residents to avoid prolonged heat exposure, stay hydrated by drinking ample water and ORS-based fluids and take extra precautions for vulnerable groups including infants, the elderly and people with chronic illnesses.
According to the IMD, the orange alert stands for ‘be prepared’, while the maximum temperature is expected to hover around 44 degrees Celsius.
