North India swelters as New Delhi records highest-ever temperature of 49.9C
Al Jazeera
Brutal weather forces schools to close in several cities and raises the risk of heatstroke for people working outdoors.
People in northern India are struggling with an unrelenting, weeks-long heatwave that saw the temperature in the capital, New Delhi, soaring to a record-high 49.9 degrees Celsius (121.8 degrees Fahrenheit) – 9C (16F) higher than average.
Delhi’s suburb stations at Narela and Mungeshpur recorded the temperature on Tuesday, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), as the agency put several states on high alert.
The nearby states of Punjab and Haryana also saw temperatures soar, with one place in Rajasthan topping the 50C (122 F) mark. The desert state’s Phalodi town holds the country’s all-time heat record, hitting 51C (124F) in 2016.
India declares a heatwave whenever temperatures are above 45C (113 F). The brutal weather has forced schools to close in several cities and raised the risk of heatstrokes for people working outdoors.
The extreme heat coincides with a six-week general election, increasing health risks as people wait in long lines to cast their vote. The voting ends on Saturday.
