Delhi sizzles under furnace-like temperatures; April was second hottest in 72 years

Delhi recorded its second hottest April in 72 years with a monthly average maximum temperature of 40.2 degrees Celsius even as parts of the country are sweltering in intense heatwaves. The furnace-like temperatures have led to hours-long blackouts.

The all-time high temperature for the month is 45.6 degrees Celsius, which was recorded on April 29, 1941.

The city recorded a high of 43.5 degrees Celsius on April 28 and April 29. This was the highest maximum temperature on an April day in Delhi in 12 years.

The weather department has issued an "orange" alert, warning people of a severe heatwave in many parts of Delhi.

The city has recorded nine heatwave days in April, the highest since 11 such days witnessed in the month in 2010.

Delhi falls in the Core Heatwave Zone (CHZ), comprising the most heatwave-prone areas of the country, along with Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal.

Northwest India has been recording higher-than-normal temperatures since the last week of March, with weather experts attributing it to the absence of periodic light rainfall and thundershowers, which typify this time of the year, due to the lack of active western disturbances.

The IMD said Delhi may also see a partly cloudy sky, light rain and a dust storm with winds gusting up to 50 kilometres per hour on Friday and Sunday, which may provide temporary respite.

The heatwave is expected to abate from Monday under the influence of a western disturbance, which is likely to affect northwest India from the night of May 1, it said.

Heatwaves have killed over 6,500 people in India since 2010, and scientists say climate change is making them harsher and more frequent across South Asia.

A climate change expert has said that the duration of the severe heat wave is more worrying than the high temperatures.