Delhi heat: Did the mercury really reach 52.9 degrees in Delhi? The Meteorological Department is investigating

Delhi Heatwave | Delhi Weather :Is it really 52.9 degrees in Delhi : Has the temperature in Delhi really crossed 52 degrees Celsius? This question is being raised not only in Delhi but in the entire country. The reason is the maximum temperature of 52.9 degrees Celsius recorded in Mungeshpur, Delhi on Wednesday, which is the highest temperature ever recorded anywhere in India. The Meteorological Department is so shocked by this record-breaking figure of heat that it has asked its scientists to check the authenticity of this figure.

Safdarjung centre also recorded the highest temperature in 80 years

Delhi’s Safdarjung station also recorded a maximum temperature of 46.8 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, the highest in 80 years. This was the highest temperature recorded by the station since 1944, which was 6 degrees higher than the average temperature expected at this time of the year. But this temperature was also much lower than the temperature of 52.9 degrees recorded at the center in Mungeshpur, located on the northern outskirts of Delhi bordering Haryana. The Safdarjung Center of the Meteorological Department is considered the weather marker for the entire capital. Apart from this, a temperature of 49.1 degrees Celsius was recorded at Najafgarh station on Wednesday, while a temperature of 49 degrees Celsius was recorded at Pusa Road.

IMD is checking the data and sensors

The Indian Meteorological Department said in a statement, “The maximum temperature in Delhi NCR ranged from 45.2 degrees Celsius to 49.1 degrees Celsius in different parts of the city. Mungeshpur recorded a temperature of 52.9 degrees Celsius compared to other stations. This may also be due to local reasons or error in the sensor. IMD is investigating the data and sensor of this reading.” IMD scientist Kuldeep Srivastava said that an IMD team was sent to the weather center on Wednesday to confirm the data. Mungeshpur’s reading was later removed from the city’s weather bulletin, but it was reinstated in the late evening update bulletin.

The IMD runs 20 weather stations in Delhi, of which 15 are automatic weather stations (AWS), including Mungeshpur. The second-closest weather station to Mungeshpur is about 16 km away in Narela, where the maximum temperature on Wednesday was recorded at 48.4 degrees Celsius. Earlier on Tuesday, both Mungeshpur and Narela had recorded a temperature of 49.9 degrees Celsius.

Data from 2022 till now is recorded in Mungeshpur

Unlike the automatic station at Mungeshpur, Safdarjung is a manual centre where observations are taken manually every three hours. Automatic weather stations are a part of the IMD’s network of 800 stations across the country where weather parameters are recorded and sent without human intervention. Data is available at the Mungeshpur weather station from 2022 till date and 52.9 degrees Celsius is the highest temperature ever recorded here.

Heat wave conditions recorded for the fourth consecutive day

On Wednesday, the Safdarjung Meteorological Center experienced heatwave conditions for the fourth consecutive day. The IMD considers a heatwave situation when the maximum temperature is 45 degrees or more. According to IMD data, the last time a higher maximum temperature than this was recorded was on May 29, 1944, at 47.2 degrees Celsius.