Gurgaon continued to experience extreme heat on Friday, with daytime temperatures remaining above 42 degrees Celsius, prompting the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to issue an orange alert for heatwave to severe heatwave conditions across Haryana from May 24 to May 27.
Temperature Records
The city recorded a maximum temperature of 42.7 degrees Celsius, up from 42 degrees Celsius on Thursday. While the state's average maximum temperature saw a marginal decline of 1.1 degrees Celsius in the last 24 hours, it remained 2.2 degrees above normal. Specific readings from Gurgaon AWS showed 41.4 degrees Celsius, KVK AWS recorded 41.5 degrees Celsius, and NorthCap University logged 42.7 degrees Celsius.
Hottest Districts in Haryana
Across Haryana, Rohtak remained the hottest district with a maximum temperature of 45.3 degrees Celsius, nearly five degrees above normal. Bopani AWS in Faridabad recorded 45.1 degrees Celsius, while Sirsa touched 44.4 degrees Celsius, and Hisar recorded 43.1 degrees Celsius.
Night Temperatures and Discomfort
Night temperatures stayed high, adding to discomfort and limiting overnight cooling. The minimum temperature settled at 29.8 degrees Celsius, 1.1 notches lower than the previous day. NorthCap University recorded a minimum of 28.5 degrees Celsius, down from 32.6 degrees Celsius on Thursday. Gurgaon AWS settled at 25.3 degrees Celsius, against 27.5 degrees Celsius on Thursday. The state's average minimum temperature dipped by 0.8 degrees Celsius compared to Thursday but remained 1.8 degrees above normal.
Across Haryana, Sirsa recorded the warmest night at 30.2 degrees Celsius, while Hisar logged 28.6 degrees Celsius, Ambala 28.5 degrees Celsius, Karnal 27.6 degrees Celsius, and Narnaul 28.2 degrees Celsius.
Weather Forecast
Thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds of 30-40 kmph are expected at isolated places on Friday, while light rainfall is likely at isolated places on May 22 and May 28. Weather conditions are expected to remain largely dry between May 23 and May 27. Strong surface winds of 20-30 kmph, gusting up to 40 kmph, are also likely over Haryana during the next seven days, according to IMD.
Health Risks
Dr Vishwas Chitale, fellow at the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), said that according to a study, Delhi is one of the highest heat-risk-experiencing union territories, with districts where 55% and 45% fall in the very high and high categories of the heat risk index, respectively.
"As per WHO, extended periods of daytime and nighttime temperatures can cause cumulative stress on the human body. Warmer nights prevent the human body from cooling down after intense daytime heat. This significantly increases health risks such as heat strokes and worsens diseases such as diabetes and hypertension," he said.
