North India bakes at 48 degrees celsius; Delhi temperature hits 46 degrees celsius

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, May 21, 2026: Delhi reeled under intense heat on Thursday as the minimum temperature settled at 31.9 degrees Celsius, which was 5.2 degrees above the seasonal average.

According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the city’s air quality remained in the ‘moderate’ category, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 153 at 9 am.

As per CPCB standards, an AQI between 0 and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51-100 ‘satisfactory’, 101-200 ‘moderate’, 201-300 ‘poor’, 301-400 ‘very poor’, and 401-500 ‘severe’.

Heatwave grips North India

Large parts of North India continued to face scorching conditions, with Uttar Pradesh’s Banda district emerging as the hottest place in the country on Wednesday after recording 48 degrees Celsius, 4.5 degrees above normal.

In the national capital, the Ridge base station registered a maximum temperature of 45.8 degrees Celsius, making it the hottest location in Delhi.

Record surge in power demand

Amid the blistering heatwave, India’s peak power demand touched a new all-time high of 265.44 GW on Wednesday, marking the third straight day of record-breaking electricity consumption as the use of air-conditioners and coolers surged across the country.

The Ministry of Power said the new peak demand was recorded at 3:45 pm, surpassing Tuesday’s previous record of 260.45 GW, which had overtaken Monday’s high of 257.37 GW.