Rajasthan town hits 50.5°C, Delhi sizzles at 46.4°C

New Delhi: Temperature records fell as heat scorched north India on Wednesday. Phalodi, a town off the Bikaner-Jaisalmer highway in west Rajasthan, was ground zero of the severe heat wave blowing across the region, recording a scalding 50.5 degrees Celsius - a tenth of a degree less than the highest temperature ever recorded in the country, 50.6 degrees C at Alwar in 1956.
It was the season's hottest day at the capital's Palam station as well, with the mercury shooting up to 46.4 degrees C. The Met office has issued a 'red' alert, the highest heat warning, across the region. As Delhiites reeled under seven straight days of 40-plus temperatures, power demand soared to the season's highest of 5,733 MW, breaking the record set the previous day. Even tigers in the city zoo had to be given electrolytes to replace body salts.
The worse isn't over yet. The Met office said no respite from the sizzling temperatures is likely over the next three-four days. IMD's red-alert for the city for "heat wave to severe heat wave" conditions is valid till Friday. Even over the weekend, an 'orange' alert for heat wave has been issued. IMD officials said exceptionally dry conditions were adding to the heat even as sizzling winds blew in from Pakistan's desert regions.
"It has not rained in the northern plains in the last 10 days. Dry conditions absorb more heat and clear skies make the earth hotter," said IMD director B P Yadav.
"In addition, there is advection (transfer) of heat from Pakistan, which is even hotter at the moment, with temperatures touching 51 degrees C at places such as Larkana in Sindh," he added.
The high heat hit operations at the Delhi airport as well. "The runway temperature was consistently between 45 and 47 degrees C from 1.30pm to 6.30pm, delaying some bigger aircraft, especially the cargo ones," said Rajendra Jenamani, head of IGI Met office.
The city's main weather station, Safdarjung, recorded the second highest temperature of the season at 43.7 degrees C.