Delhi recorded its hottest day of the year on Thursday, with the maximum temperature crossing 42 degrees Celsius at the Safdarjung observatory, India Meteorological Department data showed. Several outlying stations reported readings up to 44 degrees.
The capital and the wider National Capital Region remained partly cloudy, with low humidity and dust-laden winds reducing visibility in the afternoon. Mumbai and Hyderabad continue to sit under a separate heat advisory with maxima between 30 and 32 degrees.
IMD forecasters expect a fresh spell of isolated to scattered thunderstorms with lightning and gusty winds of 40-60 kilometres per hour over north-west India between May 10 and 13, which should bring a brief reprieve. Heavy rainfall is forecast over Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry over the next six to seven days.
The Delhi government issued a renewed advisory urging residents to remain indoors during peak afternoon hours, drink water frequently and watch for symptoms of heatstroke. Schools in several districts have shifted morning timings forward.
IMD's long-range outlook published last month forecast the 2026 south-west monsoon at about 92 per cent of the long-period average, the lowest in decades, citing an evolving El Niño event. A weaker-than-normal monsoon would compound the existing pressure on power grids and reservoirs.
Power demand in Delhi has already exceeded 7,000 megawatts on multiple days, an early-season high.