NEW DELHI: Power usage in India’s capital surged to a record high Wednesday (May 29) as residents of the sprawling megacity struggled to keep cool during a crushing heatwave with temperatures sizzling above 45 degrees Celsius.
But India’s government-run weather bureau said a station reading showing a potentially record-breaking temperature in the capital may have been due to an “error” in the measuring equipment.
As people sought relief from the scorching temperatures, the electricity grid groaned under a record peak power demand of 8,302 megawatts, according to official data.
India is no stranger to searing summer temperatures but years of scientific research have found climate change is causing heatwaves to become longer, more frequent and more intense.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD), which reported “severe heat-wave conditions”, this week issued a red alert health notice for Delhi, which has an estimated population of more than 30 million people.
The alert warns there is a “very high likelihood of developing heat illness and heat stroke in all ages”, with “extreme care needed for vulnerable people”.
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