Overview
- India’s early-summer heatwave intensified Friday as Prayagraj hit 45.2°C and Delhi logged heatwave conditions at select stations with a city high of 43.1°C at Ridge and 41.9°C at Safdarjung, prompting a yellow alert for Saturday.
- The India Meteorological Department warned of persistent heat over the next few days across Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh and parts of Kerala.
- Authorities moved to limit exposure by shifting school hours or declaring short breaks in hotspots such as Rajasthan and Odisha, and a heat-related death was reported this week in Kannur, Kerala, underscoring health risks for outdoor workers.
- Peak power demand rose to a seasonal high of about 240 GW on Thursday as cooling needs surged, a strain that grid operators monitor closely when temperatures and warm nights reduce relief after sunset.
- Forecasters expect a western disturbance between April 26 and 29 to bring scattered rain, gusty winds and slight cooling in parts of northwest and east India, and the IMD advised fishermen to avoid the Bay of Bengal near the Odisha–West Bengal coast on April 26–27.