At 42.2°C, Delhi’s power demand hits all-time high of 8,748 MW

Delhi continued to reel under intense heat on Monday, with the maximum temperature touching 42.2 degrees Celsius and the minimum settling at 31.1 degrees Celsius, making it the second consecutive warmest morning in two years.

The prevailing heatwave conditions also pushed the city’s power demand to an all-time high of 8,748 MW.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Safdarjung, the city’s base station, recorded a maximum temperature of 42.2°C, five degrees above normal, while the minimum temperature remained 3.2 degrees above normal at 31.1°C.

The IMD said heatwave conditions prevailed at several places across Delhi on Monday. However, the weather office said the heatwave was unlikely to continue on Tuesday due to ongoing thunderstorm activity over Haryana and Delhi. By 5 pm, Palam recorded wind speed of 52 kmph, while light rain and drizzle were reported from parts of south Delhi, signalling the beginning of a change in weather.

The prolonged spell of hot weather pushed Delhi’s power demand to a record 8,748 MW at 3:17 pm, surpassing the previous all-time high of 8,656 MW recorded on June 19, 2024. Despite the unprecedented demand, power supply remained stable across the city, with the authorities attributing the uninterrupted supply to advance planning, grid upgrades and improved demand forecasting.

Data from the Delhi State Load Dispatch Centre showed that this was the third time this month that Delhi’s peak power demand crossed the 8,000-MW mark. Between June 1 and June 29, the Capital’s peak demand exceeded the corresponding days of last year on 22 out of 29 days, highlighting the sustained impact of the ongoing heatwave.

The IMD has forecast partly to generally cloudy sky over the next few days, with spells of light rain, thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds reaching 40-60 kmph.