Northern India, Pakistan to swelter under 1st heat wave of 2019 as many cities experience temperatures above 40 C
Temperatures soared to the highest levels of the year so far in Mumbai on Monday, and that heat is expected to build northward into New Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) beginning on Thursday.
The mercury peaked at 41 C (106 F) in parts of Mumbai on Monday; some locations within the NCR are likely to experience similar conditions as early as Friday.
In New Delhi, the temperature climbed to near 32 C (90 F) on Wednesday; however even hotter air will settle over the region later in the week.
Highs in New Delhi are likely reach or exceed 38 C (100 F) into Saturday, and could climb as high as 40 C (104 F).
A small dip in temperatures is possible on Sunday as a few showers and thunderstorms develop across northern India; however, any lasting relief is not expected as temperatures will remain well above normal next week and could once again climb above 38 C (100 F) on multiple days.
The normal high temperature in New Delhi in late March is 31 C (88 F).
This heat wave will be similar to one that occurred in late March 2018 which set the stage for multiple lengthy heat waves that followed in April across the NCR.
An Indian woman shares a scarf with the rider of a motorbike on a hot summer afternoon in Hyderabad, India, Friday, April 21, 2017. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)
New Delhi and the NCR will not be the only areas to suffer from the intense heat later this week as locations from Pakistan eastward through much of northern India will be at risk for dangerous heat.
Karachi, Pakistan, endured its hottest day of the year so far on Wednesday as the temperature reached 37 C (98 F). No relief is expected in the coming days as unseasonable heat continues well into next week.
Daily high temperatures will range between 35 and 38 C (95 and 100 F) each day through this weekend with locations just inland from the city climbing as high as 41 C (105 F).
After enduring brutal heat on Monday and Tuesday, lower temperatures were reported in Mumbai on Wednesday; however, higher humidity still resulted in uncomfortable conditions.
Other locations that may report their highest temperatures of the year so far in the coming days include Hyderabad, Patna and Kolkata. Patna and Kolkata may report their first 38 C (100 F) day of the year during this time.
India endures lengthy heat waves each year prior to the arrival of monsoon rainfall. More than 6,000 heat-related deaths have been reported in India since 2010, according to the Times of India.
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